Another What Is This One?!

[bazzaboy]

A friend's young son (primary school) has brought home a seedling from school as a present for his Mum- very nice! - but no label.... My best current guess is it's an iris but am not sure that's right as hopeless with flowers, any better informed views please? bb

[nickdub]

Hebe ????

(too short for robot admin, so added this bit)

[Mitzi]

Definitely NOT an iris. Hebe is a good shout. Are the leaves quite tough?

[bazzaboy]

Thank you nickdub (scholar of few words) and Mitzi, happy to settle for Hebe at this stage (I haven't seen the plant only the photo but the leaves look quite tough). I'll write HEBE on a label and hope....

The attached pic isn't recording dramatic developments overnight (borrowed via Google) but the leaves look right. Friend Kate will be pleased that Wiki records that "Hebe" is named after the Greek goddess of youth, perhaps slightly alarmed that species vary from dwarf shrubs to 7 metre tall trees!

Many thanks.... bb.

[nickdub]

Big range of plants in the Hebe family - the ones you see most frequently in gardens here are dwarf ones which are usually popular with the bees - bit of an underrated shrub.

[Babru]

They sometimes get to about 5/6 feet round here, depending on variety. I had one that size for a few years, large purple flowers for many months of the year, right to December. The ones with tiny leaves have small flowers and usually stay small though.