How to Grow and Care for Hebe Shrubs

The hebe shrub family is a favorite of many gardeners because of the plant's easy cultivation and care requirements. These mounded showy shrubs are broadleaf evergreens naturally found on the mountainsides and by the coasts of New Zealand, but their versatility has made them popular picks for landscaping and container gardening around the world. The compact shrubs are best known for their colorful leaves and blooms and come in a wide range of foliage colors including green, purple, maroon, blue-green, and gray. Their spiked blooms are red, pink, white, purple, or blue. With almost 100 species in the Hebe genus to choose from, there is a shrub to suit most landscaping needs and preferences.

Plant hebe in the late spring to early summer.

Hebe Shrub Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a hebe shrub:

• Plant the hebe shrub in a location with full to partial sun and moist, well-draining soil.
• For optimal growth and health, water it during periods of drought.
• Add fertilizer to the soil around the plant in late winter or early spring.
• Prune in the late summer after the flowering has ended.

Light

Hebe shrubs excel in full sun to partial shade. However, too much shade makes them leggy in appearance and may cause their blooming to stop.

Soil

Well-draining soil is a must for most hebe shrubs. They like moist soil, but never wet. The Hebe genus doesn’t do well with extremes in soil pH. Most withstand slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil conditions, but neutral soil is generally best.

Water

Though they are known for their drought tolerance, the hebe shrub still requires a good amount of water to maintain optimal growth and healthy foliage. A weekly watering schedule will keep in-ground plants happy, full, and bright.

Temperature and Humidity

Hebe shrubs are quite hardy and tolerate cold temperatures. However, heavy frosts or a deep freeze take a toll on them. The shrubs thrive in a climate with warm summers and mild winters. These easy-to-care-for shrubs prefer mild conditions, both in the summer and winter.

Fertilizer

To add to their easy care, hebe shrubs do not require much fertilizing. If you would like to give your plant a boost, adding organic matter or compost in late winter or early spring will help encourage growth and flowering.

Types of Hebe Shrubs

There are close to 100 different species within the genus and even more cultivars. Do your research to make sure the type you select will work well with your garden conditions and design requirements. Below are just a few popular examples:

• Hebe speciosa 'Variegata': As this cultivar's name suggests, it has variegated leaves with a green-gray center and cream edges. When in bloom, purple flower spikes appear. This is a rather tall garden variety of hebe shrub, with a mature height of 5 to 6 feet.
• Hebe 'Western Hills': This hebe shrub has a frosty, clean appearance with a combination of silver-gray leaves and bright white or pale lavender-colored flowers.
• Hebe 'Red Edge': This eye-catching variety sports silver blue-green leaves. When flowering, the tips of the bush explode in beautiful red-maroon colors as the flowers bloom.
• Hebe 'Grace Kelly': Famous for its lovely variegated white and green leaves, this is a very popular hebe shrub. To complement its cheerful leaves, this variety boasts bright purple flowers when blooming.
• Hebe 'Coed': This variety stands out by its maroon-burgundy stems, forming a striking backdrop for the lavender-pink flowers.
• Hebe buxifolia: Commonly known as boxwood hebe because of its resemblance to boxwood, this is an upright, evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and white or lilac flowers. 

Pruning

Pruning hebe shrubs is easy and helps keep your plant looking full and beautiful. Once their flowers fade, trim them off to encourage more to bloom. Cut it back using the '1/3 Rule' for pruning shrubs to create a bushier look.

Throughout the growing season, you may find it advantageous to occasionally prune your shrub to maintain its polished look. This will keep it from taking on a leggy appearance.

Propagating Hebe Shrubs

Propagating hebe plants is simple. The best way to do this is through cuttings. Here’s how:

1. Using clean snips, trim off a 3- to 4-inch-long section from your bush. Remove the lower leaves of the clipping so the bottom inch of the cutting is bare.
2. Dip the cutting into rooting hormone. Plant the cut end in a 4-inch pot filled with potting mix. Water it well.
3. Place the pot in a location with bright indirect light and keep the soil evenly moist at all times but not wet. Once the cutting has started to root, you will see new growth. Delay transplanting until the cutting has grown into a healthy-looking, vigorous new plant.

How to Grow Hebe Shrubs From Seed

Though it is possible to grow hebe shrubs from seed, keep in mind that it takes several years for the seedlings to establish and provide blooms in the landscape. Also, if you are using seeds from a cultivar, you will not get a plant that is identical to the parent. Therefore the recommended propagation method is from cuttings.

Potting and Repotting Hebe Shrubs

Hebe shrubs look fantastic in the garden, but also make lovely potted plants—and this means they can also be moved indoors during cold winter weather.

If you would like to keep your hebe in a container, keep in mind how large the mature size of the variety you select will become. Smaller varieties make the best potted hebe shrubs.

Be sure that the container is well-draining, and use well-draining potting mix, as hebe shrubs do not like wet soil. A terra-cotta pot is ideal because it lets excess moisture evaporate. The plants require repotting into a large container when they outgrow their pot, about every two years, or as needed depending on the growth rate.

Overwintering

In a warmer climate, established shrubs do just fine outdoors during the winter. Protect younger shrubs by wrapping or covering them before freezing temperatures arrive.

Below USDA zone 7, the plants need to be overwintered indoors.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Aphids and spider mites find this plant quite tasty. Take care of that problem with horticultural oil or an organic insecticide. Fungal issues might arise if the plant is too wet. Remedy this by keeping good air circulation around the shrub and keeping the soil moist, but not overly wet.

How to Get Hebe Shrubs to Bloom

Bloom Months

Hebe blooms from June to October and into December in a mild climate.

How Long Does a Hebe Shrub Bloom?

The shrubs stand out by their long bloom period of a month or more.

What Do Hebe Shrub Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flower spikes in purple, pink, red, or white resemble a bottlebrush. As they age—they remain on the plant for weeks on end—they fade in color. The flowers are not fragrant.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Failure of the hebe to bloom fully can have several reasons. One is that you accidentally pruned too hard and removed new growth and nodes when pruning. It takes the shrub a season or two to recover. The opposite, not pruning it for several years also reduces the bloom because over time the stems become woody and unproductive and won’t produce flowers. Lack of sunlight is another potential cause for poor bloom. Try to cut back neighboring plants to give the shrub more light.

Caring for Hebe Shrub After It Blooms

Right after the shrub has finished blooming is the best time to prune it. If you miss that time window, skip pruning that year altogether, otherwise, you risk that the hebe won’t bloom next summer.

Deadheading Hebe Shrub Flowers

Deadheading the faded flowers encourage further blooms and extends the flowering period.