Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Veronica albicans ‘Red Edge’
Red Edge Hebe
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Height
- 1 to 2 feet
- Width
- 1 to 2 feet
- Flower color
- White and purple
- Foliage color
- Gray-green with crimson-red edges
- Bloom time
- Summer
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate; keep soil consistently moist
- Maintenance
- Low; prune lightly after flowering
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 8 to 10
- Wildlife
- Bees and butterflies are attracted to the white flowers
About this plant
Veronica albicans 'Red Edge' produces short spikes of pale mauve flowers in summer, gradually fading to nearly white and attracting bees and other pollinators. Small, thick blue-gray to gray-green leaves are neatly edged in red to purple-red, with the colorful margins becoming especially pronounced during colder weather. Fresh growth may emerge with purple tones, while the dense evergreen foliage forms a compact, rounded mound that provides fine texture and year-round color.
Native to New Zealand, the species occurs naturally in mountainous areas, while 'Red Edge' is a cultivated selection valued for its colorful foliage. Its low, spreading form is well suited to rock gardens, coastal gardens, borders, slopes, containers, and groundcover plantings, where the red-edged leaves provide seasonal interest even when flowers are absent.
Companion plants
Thyme · English lavender · Dianthus · Blue oat grass · Euphorbias · Globe thistle
Design tip
Bring ‘Red Edge’ forward in the planting where its subtle foliage details can be appreciated. Gray-green leaves edged in crimson become more colorful in cool weather, giving this compact evergreen a shifting character that keeps smaller garden spaces interesting year-round.
