Hebe

Hebe: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, cushion-shaped to spreading shrub about 40 cm high and 80 cm wide, with slender, lying to upright branches.

Leaves

Small, thick and leathery, blue-grey, in opposite pairs on the stem; evergreen.

Flowers

Short white spikes in May and June, at the tips of the shoots.

Roots

Fibrous and shallow: it likes free-draining soil and does not tolerate wet feet.

Cultivars

‘Pagei’ is the best known: low, spreading, with blue-grey leaves.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: April–May · Pruning: April and June

Why grow it?

• Blue-grey, evergreen leaves that give character to low planting all year.
• A good ground cover: the wide mat keeps weeds down in a sunny spot.
• White flowers in May–June attract bees.
• One of the hardiest hebes, to about −15 °C.
• Low maintenance: a light trim after flowering is enough.

Hebe: where does it grow best?

• Full sun to half shade; in sun the plant stays compact and flowers more.
• Free-draining, not too rich soil: sand, loam or light clay, acid to chalky.
• Moderately dry to normal; never waterlogged in winter.
• Suits a rock garden, a bank or the front of a border; tolerates wind.
• Allow 60–80 cm per plant; as ground cover, 3–4 plants per m².

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Same sunny, free-draining spot; scented purple flowers.
• Stonecrop: Thick leaves and late flowers that complement the low mat.
• Blue fescue: Blue-grey grass that echoes the colour of the leaves.
• Creeping thyme: Low, scented ground cover for the same spot.
• Cranesbill: Blue to purple flowers that go well with the grey leaves.

Hebe: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, when the worst frosts are over, so the plant can root well before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball; on heavy soil mix in sand or fine grit.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 60–80 cm between plants; as ground cover, 3–4 plants per m².
5. Water in thoroughly and keep the soil slightly moist in the first year.
6. Lay a thin layer of bark or gravel around the base, without covering the stems.

Care

Water

In the first year during dry weather, afterwards only in long dry spells. In pots regularly, but never with wet feet.

Feeding

In April a handful of organic fertiliser or shrub feed; not after August.

Mulching

A thin layer of bark or gravel keeps the soil moist and the crown dry.

Spent flowers

Cut off the spikes after flowering: the mat stays neater.

Weeds

Weed regularly until the plants meet; after that the mat suppresses weeds by itself.

Tip: Cut off the spent spikes in June and give the plant plenty of sun and free-draining soil: the mat then stays dense. After a few years, tuck in a cutting if the centre starts to open up.

Hebe: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and June.

When: After flowering, in June, plus a light tidy in April.

How:

• Cut off the spent spikes to just above the leaves.
• Shorten protruding or overlong branches to keep the shape, always within green wood.
• In April: remove dead or frost-damaged twigs back to healthy wood, which only shows clearly in May.

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

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–September take cuttings of 5–8 cm from non-flowering shoots, strip the lower leaves and insert in sandy compost. Usually rooted in 3–5 weeks.

Layering

In spring peg a low branch to the ground with a little soil over it; it roots over the summer and can be separated in autumn.

Hebe: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: it can stay outside in most Belgian winters, also as ground cover.
• Wet winters are more dangerous than frost: make sure drainage is good and do not let a thick layer of leaves lie on the plant.
• In a pot: stand it on feet against a sheltered wall and protect the pot in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: The plant fades and drops leaves on soil that is too wet. Improve drainage with sand or move it to a higher spot.
• Leaf spot: Brown or black spots on the leaves, especially in wet spells. Remove affected leaves and avoid watering over the foliage.
• Frost damage: Brown leaves and dead twigs after a hard winter. Wait until May, then cut back to healthy wood.
• Bare centre: Older plants open up in the middle. Trim lightly every year, tuck in a cutting or young plant and avoid too much shade.

Through the year

• April: Planting. Remove dead twigs. Feed.
• May: Planting. Flowering begins. Cut out frost damage.
• June: Flowering. Cut off spent spikes.
• July: Take cuttings. Water in dry weather.
• August: Take cuttings.
• September: Take cuttings. Separate layers.
• October: Keep thick leaf layers off the plant.
• November: Move pots frost-free. Protect young plants.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name pinguifolia comes from Latin and means ‘thick-leaved’, after the small, fleshy leaves.
• Hebes were long treated as a genus of their own, but are now placed in Veronica (speedwell).
• Coming from the mountains of New Zealand, it is one of the hardiest hebes.