Hebe speciosa is nearly extinct in the wild, but is planted in many New Zealand gardens. It grows naturally on sea cliffs along the western coast of the North Island, and may have always been uncommon, with patchy distribution. It is threatened by weeds, browsing animals and weakening of its gene base by crossbreeding with other hebe species and cultivars. Plants in the Marlborough Sounds and on Kāpiti Island may have been cultivated by Māori who brought them from the North Island. In 2005 this hebe was classified as ‘nationally endangered’.
Using this item
Department of Conservation
Reference:
10060413
Photograph by Rebecca Stanley
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