Veronica (Heliohebe) raoulii. (Veronica pentasepala)

Heliohebes, Oops These special Veronicas are a great addition to many gardens. Possibly Veronica pentasepala.

N.Z. Veronica A little gem of a shrub with green foliage edged with red and spikes of mauve flowers in summer. H26cm × W40cm. I found it to be stunted in a tough spot but romping away a bit taller when good pickings are available. Open sunny positions in soil with good drainage. Naturally inhabiting rocky open sites in Marlborough and northern Canterbury. In this photo the heliohebe nestles in and grows through the Raoulia in an appealing way. The picture of it flowering is in mid October. A hybrid celmisia is happy here too.  The last image shows the V. raoulii with V. lavaudiana (left, not flowering ) with the selected form Heliohebe, Hagley Park.

If the latter name it is similar to V. raoulii but V. pentasepala has a more erect habit, leaves widest at about the middle, and five free calyx lobes, the posterior one usually only slightly smaller than the others. South Island – Marlborough inland valleys on cliffs and rock faces in the sun. Often found on limestone.

Detaile

A great website for natives NZPCN:

https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-raoulii/