Veronica/Hebe youngii (syn Hebe ‘Carl Teschner’)

AGM awarded by RHS. This is a low-growing, fairly compact, evergreen shrub, reaching 20 cm high, and 60 cm across. The tiny leaves are shiny mid-green, with a red edge. Flowers violet, fading to white at Christmas time.

This hebe, or an almost identical one, was sent unnamed by Carl Teschner, New Zealand in 1960 to Valerie Finnis, UK. The original seedling was found before 1930 in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, and named after the Curator.