Hebe Midnight Sky

'Midnight Sky' Hebe® is a hybrid variety of shrubby veronica that stands out for its winter foliage of deep, dark and shiny purple. In summer its long evergreen leaves wear a vibrant green colour but retaining a hint of their twilight dress along the central vein and the edge of the lamina. It is in the midst of this beautiful contrast that bright violet flower spikes bloom in early summer. This relatively hardy small bush is easy to grow in regions where winters are not too harsh. This variety naturally forms a beautiful evergreen cushion with an open, ornamental habit all year round. The plant is disease-resistant, undemanding about soil type, and drought resistant once well established in the garden. It is also an excellent plant for the terrace.

'Midnight Sky' Hebe is a recent hybrid cultivar, selected in 2007 at Lowaters Nursery in the United Kingdom. It belongs to the family of Plantaginaceae and is similar to perennial veronicas. It forms a small bush with an open habit, about 1m (3 ft) tall and 65cm (26 in) wide. Its reddish stems, which lignify with age, bear thin elliptical leaves, about 5cm (2 in) long, thick and leathery. They are a bright green in colour, turning purplish from the first signs of cold, eventually becoming almost black by the end of the year. The young shoots are a fairly fresh green when they emerge. Flowering mainly occurs in June-July, sometimes with a second bloom in autumn. The inflorescences are simple lateral spikes, resembling thin pins about 5cm (2 in) long. They are composed of numerous small flowers: the flower buds, slightly tinged with white, reveal the delicacy of their mauve-violet dress when they open. Pruning after flowering is recommended to maintain a compact habit and a neat appearance to this shrubby veronica.

With relatively slow growth and hardiness (down to -10°C for 'Midnight Sky'), Hebes are usually grouped with perennial plants because their use is closer to these than to shrubs. The 'Midnight Sky' variety, on the other hand, has sufficient growth to be included, in favourable climates, among other flowering shrubs. Its summer blooms go well with buddleias, in a mix of colours, as does their sometimes silver-tinged foliage. In a seaside garden it can be combined with Escallonias, Myrtus, Rose Laurels, evergreen Ceanothus, Bottlebrushes, or even mimosas. Elsewhere, Hebes can be grown in large pots on the terrace, to be stored in a bright, unheated room during winter.