Shrubby veronica, or Hebe, offers spectacular flowering and simply beautiful leaves.
Summary of key Hebe facts
Name: Hebe
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Type: shrub
Height: 1 to 5 feet (30 to 150 cm)
Exposure: full sun, part sun
Soil: ordinary
Foliage: evergreen – Flowering: March to November depending on the variety
Caring for this plant, from planting to pruning, should help you get magnificent flower clusters.
Planting Hebe or shrubby veronica
It is better to plant shrubby veronica in fall to favor root development before winter hits, and ensure proper growth in the following spring.
Planting at other times than fall is perfectly possible for specimens purchased in pots or containers.
- For planting, avoid winter freezing and summer heat.
- Water regularly if you’re planting in spring or at the beginning of summer.
Always choose a sunlit and wind-sheltered spot because Hebe is vulnerable to cold frost spells.
Shrubby veronica tolerates part sun.
- Follow our guidance for planting
Propagating Hebe
Making cuttings is the easiest and fastest way to propagate your Hebe.
Prepare your shrubby Veronica cuttings at the end of summer.- Collect stems from soft wood branches, the branches that came from new growth that haven’t yet hardened completely.
- Remove lower pairs of leaves, keeping only the topmost one or two pairs at the crest.
- Dip the cuttings in powdered rooting agents.
- Put the cuttings in special cutting soil mix, near light but not in direct sunlight.
- Keep the substrate moist and protect your cuttings in winter, keeping them out of the cold.
Pruning and caring for Hebe
Veronica shrubs thrive in mild climates, especially in winter. It is easy to care for, especially when well settled in.
Remove wilted flowers regularly, snipping the stem just below the flower (deadheading).
This is how you will trigger new flowers.
If needed, you can also cut the plant back at the very beginning of spring.
In case of strong frost spells, it may be that your shrubby Veronica is hit, and that part of the leaves turn brown and die instead of growing back.
If this happens, remove all dead portions that have frozen, to stimulate new shoots.
In winter, mulch on the ground will protect roots from freezing.
Transplanting and moving a Hebe shrub
Shrubby veronica keeps adding wood, flowers and beauty as year come and go, so it might reach the point where you would like to transplant your hebe.
- May, in the middle of spring, is the best time to do this to avoid the last frosts.
Here is the best way to move your veronica shrub
- Dig out the hebe clump with as much roots as you can. For a 4-foot (1.25 meter) shrub, the root ball should be about two feet across.
- Carry the clump to right next to where you want to plant it, and soak it in a pail or basin.
- Dig a hole that is around twice the size of the root clump.
- Transfer some soil from the old growing spot to the new one to reduce transplant shock.
- Soak the hole thoroughly, place the root ball so that it’s level with the ground, and backfill.
When finished, press the soil down around your hebe, add a bit more soil if needed, and water abundantly. Remember to water at least once, best twice a week for the first few months.
Learn more about Hebe
Shrubby veronica offers very interesting flowers from spring to fall.
The beautiful purple-pink, blue or white panicles (depending on the variety) stay in place and will keep decorating the beautiful dark green leaves during the most part of the winter.
Its bushy aspect and ornamental appeal will engage the by-goer along edges, flower beds, and also pots and garden boxes on the terrace.
Hebe resists freezing when winters are cold down to more or less 14°F (-10°C). But it still is a bit fragile during the first years after planting.
Remarkable shrubby Veronica varieties
- Hebe andersonii – the most common variety, it bears beautiful purple panicles.
- Hebe vernicosa: this is a white-flowered variety, and the flowers are smaller.
- Hebe pinguifolia: another white-flowered variety that flowers at the beginning of summer.
Smart tip about Hebe
If you match Hebe together with a low boxwood hedge, you’ll create a striking evergreen bed.
Bonsoirs , j’ai mon HEBE chez moi il m’a était offert au début il était resplendissent (feuilles méga belle et les fleurs était très belle et sa étaient au TOP, mais là depuis 15 jours ses feuilles ont changées comme si elles étaient brulées puis les jeunes fleurs se sont mise à noircir et là elle se dégarni de plus en plus; Je ne sais plus quoi faire (mise dehors puis rentrées) Je vous remercies de venir à mon aide. Cordialement
Bonsoir Carole, vous pouvez peut-être poser votre question sur notre forum de jardinage francophone, je suis sur que vous aurez de bonnes réponses à vos questions. N’oubliez pas de leur montrer des photos. D’après ce que je comprends, le fait que les jeunes pousses noircissent est peut-être lié à un excès d’eau. Si on vous a offert la plante avec un cache-pot, prenez l’habitude d’arrose votre plante en la sortant du cache-pot, en la posant sur l’egouttoir à côté de l’évier, et de ne la remettre dans son cache pot que lorsque l’excès d’eau a arrêté de couler. Et n’arrosez que quand la terre est plutôt sèche, n’arrosez pas si elle est même encore un peu humide.
Hi my hebe magic summer has been in the ground for a year now but I have noticed the centre is very open and the plant looks like it is growing outwards with a gap in the middle. How do I get the hebe to busy up right in the middle. Thank you. ☺
Thank for your quick reply I will move the hebe’s next may
When is the best time of year to move a hebe?
Hi Julie! The middle of spring is the best time to ensure success: no more freezing expected, and it’ll have all of spring and summer to build up its new root network. I updated the article to include a part on how to transplant hebe, hope it helps!