Curtis Botanical – Plate 7348 – Cypress-leafed Hebe / Whipcord Hebe

Original antique black-and-white print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 7348.

A New Zealand hebe that has completely transformed its leaves into tiny overlapping scales pressed tight to the stem — identical in appearance to a cypress or juniper. This remarkable convergent evolution (arriving at the same form from a completely different starting point) is a response to New Zealand's harsh alpine and coastal conditions.

Pacific NW (OR, WA, Northern CA) — whipcord hebes are beloved by Pacific NW gardeners for their year-round sculptural quality.

Uncolored plate. Condition consistent with age of volume. Each print is a unique piece of botanical history, printed on paper aged over a century.

This plate originated with the Royal Horticultural Society and passed through Wheldon & Wesley, one of the great natural history dealers of the 20th century. We came into the archive by accident and have spent the time since trying to share it as widely as we can.