Other Names:  Shrubby Veronica

Description:

A lovely, bushy shrub presenting attractive, bronze-green glossy foliage; large spikes of rose-pink flowers appear from spring to fall; ideal for gardens, borders, and containers; prune lightly to maintain shape

Ornamental Features

Wiri Desire Hebe has masses of beautiful spikes of rose star-shaped flowers with pink overtones rising above the foliage from mid spring to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. It has attractive dark green foliage with pointy dark red spines which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The dark red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Wiri Desire Hebe is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Wiri Desire Hebe is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Wiri Desire Hebe will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Wiri Desire Hebe makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.