Hebe Joan Mac

Hebe 'Joan Mac'® is a superb variety of hybrid Speedwell shrub, with dark and shiny foliage all year round. The long evergreen leaves are dark green to purple. In June, clusters of pink-purple flowers emerge among the leaves, offering a striking and beautiful contrast. This relatively hardy small bush is easy to grow in regions where winters are not too harsh. This variety naturally forms a beautiful, very compact and dense evergreen cushion, ornamental all year round. The plant is disease-resistant, undemanding about soil type, and drought resistant once established in the garden. It is also an excellent plant for the terrace.

Hebe 'Joan Mac' is a recent hybrid cultivar, selected at the Tully nursery in Ireland. It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is similar to perennial veronicas. It forms a small, regular bush with a particularly compact habit, reaching about 40 cm (16 in) in all directions. Its reddish stems, which lignify with age, bear thin, long, thick, and leathery elliptical leaves. They have a very dark and shiny green colour, with purple tinges. The young shoots are purple. Flowering mainly occurs in May-June, sometimes with a second flush in autumn. It takes the form of simple lateral inflorescences resembling long thin spikes of 5 cm (2 in). They are composed of a multitude of small flowers: the floral buds, slightly tinged with white, reveal the intensity of their bright pink-purple colour when they open. Pruning after flowering is recommended to maintain a compact habit and a tidy appearance for this shrubby speedwell.

With relatively slow growth, and being relatively hardy (down to -10°C (14 °F) for 'Joan Mac'), Hebes are generally grouped with perennial plants because their usage is closer to these than to shrubs. The 'Joan Mac' variety, on the other hand, naturally has a compact and dense growth habit that is well suited for ornamenting terraces and balconies, mixed with e.g. ericaceous plants or creeping rosemary. In favourable climates it can create neat and intensely coloured borders throughout the summer, and it is highly decorative in winter. In cold regions, Hebes can be grown in large pots on the terrace, to be stored in a bright and unheated room during winter.