Veronica (Hebe) epacridea
Growing profusely on the shingly scree slopes of Mount Hutt Veronica (Hebe) epacridea is a most attractive Hebe species. It is also easy to grow in the home rock garden in well drained, shingly soil.
It grows out in the open where nothing else is growing as well as closely associated with other scree loving alpine plants.
Its leaf patterns are distinct with the leaves being margined in red, with an obvious midrib and arranged in four stiffly symmetrical lines, almost looking like a square stem, up the many curved stems. Some plants will have quite large leaves while others have many more stems with much smaller leaves. Typically the larger leaved form tends to be more prostrate. As Hebe has been well studied the difference in form may be related to growing conditions an exposure.
When flowering almost every growing tip carries a terminal group of white flowers on small stems arising from the leaf node.
It is closely related to Veronica (Hebe) haastii and shares this habitat with it.
It is easily found in NZ in the higher alpine areas of eastern South Island from Nelson to North Otago and the Lakes District.
Its specific name epacridea derives from the Greek language epi meaning upon and akros meaning summit referring to the plant growing upon the top of the hills.
It grows out in the open where nothing else is growing as well as closely associated with other scree loving alpine plants.
Its leaf patterns are distinct with the leaves being margined in red, with an obvious midrib and arranged in four stiffly symmetrical lines, almost looking like a square stem, up the many curved stems. Some plants will have quite large leaves while others have many more stems with much smaller leaves. Typically the larger leaved form tends to be more prostrate. As Hebe has been well studied the difference in form may be related to growing conditions an exposure.
When flowering almost every growing tip carries a terminal group of white flowers on small stems arising from the leaf node.
It is closely related to Veronica (Hebe) haastii and shares this habitat with it.
It is easily found in NZ in the higher alpine areas of eastern South Island from Nelson to North Otago and the Lakes District.
Its specific name epacridea derives from the Greek language epi meaning upon and akros meaning summit referring to the plant growing upon the top of the hills.