Hebe (Veronica albicans): when and how to prune

Veronica albicans

Hebe (Veronica albicans) is best pruned in April and August.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	April and August
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in April and August
Flowering	June–July
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and butterflies
Native to Belgium	No, planted

Hebe (Veronica albicans): when to prune it?

Straight after flowering, in August, plus a light tidy in April.

What else to prune in those months? April · August

Cut off the spent spikes to just above the leaves.
In April: remove dead or frost-damaged twigs back to healthy wood, which only shows clearly in May.
Keep the dome round by shortening a protruding branch now and then, staying in healthy green wood.

There are 2 pruning periods a year: April and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

Pruning in April and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
Hebe (Veronica albicans) flowers in June–July, when it attracts bees and butterflies.
Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Caution: Do not cut deep into old, bare wood: it often fails to regrow.

This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.