Scientific name: Hebe spp. & cvs
Family: PLANTAGINACEAE
Common names: “Hebe”
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 8-9 & 10-11
Light: Full sun – part shade
Exposure: Sheltered from cold winter wind, tolerates seaside
Soil: Poor – moderately fertile soil
Moisture: Moist well drained, drought tolerant once established
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 6″-5′ W 1-5′
Leaf and Stem shape: Green grey or variegated, dense opposite leaves, usually in 4 rows along the stem
Flower: Pink – purple tubular flowers in racemes, spikes or small heads
Pruning: Shear to maintain dense bushy form, best not to cut back too hard, prune like a conifer, don’t cut into old wood
Maintenance: Low – medium
Landscape use: Groundcover, specimen, hedges and screens, containers, coastal cottage
Propagate: By seed and cuttings
Pests & Disease: Can have problems with leaf spot and downy mildew
*Deer resistant
Comments: Hebe’s with bigger leaves are less hardy than the small leaf ones
Cultivars: H. cuppressoides – looks like a conifer with scaly leaves
