''Veronica hulkeana'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Hebe hulkeana'', the New Zealand lilac, is a species of plant in the

Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...

. Its pale mauve flowers are on long sprays, which develop from the tips of the branches. The dainty flowers, which occur in profusion, last from October until December. The foliage is dark green and shiny. The leaves are elliptic to obtuse in shape and are 7–10 cm long and 2–3 cm wide. This cold-hardy plant is easy to grow, providing it has well drained, light soil and an open, sunny position. Its natural habitat is in dry rocky places in the northern part of the South Island up to an altitude of 900 m.

References

*Favorite Native Plants for the New Zealand Home Garden by Julian Matthews *A Field Guide to the Native Plants of New Zealand by John T. Salmon hulkeana Flora of New Zealand {{NewZealand-plant-stub