Veronica × franciscana (Hedge Veronica)

A garden hybrid of two New Zealand hebes, this evergreen shrub belongs to the plantain family and usually grows less than 4 feet tall. Dense branches carry opposite pairs of thick, glossy leaves, often arranged in four neat rows. Clusters of violet-blue, purple, or occasionally white flowers emerge beside the leaves. Each flower has four lobes and two projecting stamens. It can be propagated by semi-ripe stem cuttings. Photographed in Florida.