Hebes offer that highly prized combination of being evergreen and yet rarely overwhelming. Their leaves stay on the plant through winter, giving structure and a touch of neatness when many perennials are asleep, but most varieties stay within a sensible 60cm–1.5m range. This makes them ideal for front gardens, small borders and drives where you don’t want big shrubs taking over. Variegated and coloured foliage types are particularly good at brightening dull corners and providing contrast with plainer greens.
Common name: Shrubby Veronica
Latin name: Hebe and garden cultivars
Size in UK gardens: Most varieties reach around 60cm–1.5m tall and wide in time, with dwarf forms smaller and taller types a little larger.
Best position: A sunny or lightly shaded, reasonably sheltered spot, ideally out of the very coldest winds so foliage and flowers stay neat.
Soil: Moist but free‑draining garden soil, preferably reasonably fertile; dislikes heavy, waterlogged clay or very dry, stony ground with no added organic matter.
Flowering time: Usually summer into early autumn, with many varieties giving a long season of neat flower spikes above evergreen foliage.
Fragrance: Flowers are usually only lightly scented close up; Hebe is grown mainly for colour, shape and all‑year foliage.
Hardiness: Generally hardy in much of the UK, including many Cambridgeshire and East Anglian gardens, though some forms may suffer in severe or very exposed winters.
Care level: Low to moderate; easy once established, needing regular watering in dry spells and light pruning to keep it compact and flowering well.
The Simpson’s team raises the majority of our trees here at the nursery. For varieties outside our own production, we work with independent local growers we trust - all chosen for UK climate suitability.
Planting time: As container‑grown shrubs, Hebes can be planted in most months when the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged, with spring and autumn usually the easiest times for them to establish.
Watering: Water regularly in the first growing season, especially in dry weather and on sandy soils. Once established in the ground, they usually only need extra watering during prolonged dry spells.
Feeding: A light mulch of garden compost in spring helps keep the soil in good condition. On poorer soils or in pots, a modest application of balanced fertiliser in spring will support strong, flowering growth.
Pruning: Lightly trim after the main flush of flowers to remove spent spikes and keep plants bushy. Older, leggy specimens can be gently thinned, but avoid cutting hard into very old wood if possible.
Winter: Most Hebes are hardy enough for normal winters in sheltered spots, though some foliage may scorch in severe cold. A mulch around the base and a little extra shelter for container plants can help them through harder winters.
Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.
Silvery foliage is the real appeal here, giving the plant a soft, coastal look that brightens borders even when it isn’t in flower. It’s excellent in sunny, free-draining beds and gravel planting, where that pale leaf colour plays beautifully with purples, blues and ornamental grasses for a crisp, modern feel.
A brighter, lighter take on the silvery hebe look, with foliage that feels almost frosted and very effective for lifting a planting scheme. It’s perfect near the front of borders, in gravel gardens and in pots, where the pale tones bring clarity and contrast against darker evergreens all year.
A neat, evergreen hebe with a smart, garden-ready habit that sits comfortably in almost any scheme. It’s ideal for front-of-border planting and containers, where it provides dependable structure and a tidy outline, with flowers adding a gentle seasonal lift rather than anything too showy.
Small, compact and beautifully behaved, this is a hebe made for pots, edging and tight spaces where every plant needs to earn its keep. It forms a neat little mound that looks composed year-round, and it works especially well repeated in a border to create a calm, cohesive framework.
A miniature hebe with a tidy, evergreen presence that’s perfect for containers and the very front of borders. It keeps its shape without fuss, giving that “always looks finished” effect, and it pairs beautifully with small grasses and other compact shrubs for a clean, contemporary look.
Lively and bright, with a polished, decorative feel that makes it an easy choice for pots and patio planting. It keeps that neat hebe habit gardeners love, bringing year-round structure, and it looks particularly good alongside darker evergreens where its lighter tones feel fresh and uplifting.
A little classic with a crisp, blue-flowering display that brings a cool note to summer borders. It’s compact enough for pots and front edges, yet has enough presence to hold its own in mixed planting. Used in small groups, it creates a lovely rhythm and a clean, dependable look.
Cool-toned and tidy, this is a hebe that brings a fresh, modern feel—especially effective in pots and gravel planting. The colour sits beautifully with silvers and grasses, and the evergreen habit keeps everything looking structured long after the flowering peak has passed.
A compact evergreen with a bright, blue-flowering show that feels cheerful without being brash. It’s ideal for front borders and containers where you can enjoy the colour up close, and it works brilliantly repeated in a scheme to give a steady, low framework with a seasonal splash of interest.
As the name suggests, this forms a naturally rounded dome—neat, satisfying and always tidy. It’s perfect for creating low evergreen structure in borders, gravel gardens and pots, where those rounded shapes give a calm, designed feel, and it looks particularly good used in repetition.
A generous, floriferous hebe that brings a pleasing softness to borders while still keeping a neat, evergreen outline. It’s ideal for containers and front-of-border planting, and it’s especially effective planted in small groups so the flowering feels abundant rather than scattered.
Tough, dependable and very garden-friendly, with a slightly more rugged character that suits breezier sites. It provides reliable evergreen structure and a tidy habit, making it a good choice for low screening, border framework and pots, particularly where you want something that simply gets on with it.
A well-loved hebe with a tidy, classic look—evergreen, compact and very easy to place. It’s excellent for pots and sunny borders, bringing structure year-round and a rewarding flowering display in season. It works beautifully as a repeat plant to stitch a border together neatly.
True to its name, this is a cheerful, floriferous hebe that brings a lively seasonal show while staying neat and well-mannered. It’s ideal in pots by steps and patios, or near the front of borders, where the tidy evergreen habit keeps a scheme looking smart between flowering moments.
A lighter, more refined hebe with a soft, elegant feel—perfect when you want an evergreen that brightens rather than darkens a planting scheme. It’s excellent in containers and front borders, pairing beautifully with darker shrubs and fresh greens, where its gentler tones add a polished, lifted finish.
A sturdy, confident hebe with a clean evergreen outline that gives borders reliable structure all year. It’s a great choice for pots and low framework planting, where it stays tidy and composed, and it works particularly well in small groups to create a generous, cohesive block of evergreen form.
A fresh, white-flowering hebe that brings a clean lift to borders and containers, especially in softer evening light. It keeps that neat, evergreen habit that makes hebes so dependable, and it’s perfect near paths or seating where the crisp flowers can be enjoyed up close.
A naturally tidy, garden-friendly hebe with a slightly coastal character—evergreen, resilient, and easy to place. It’s excellent in sunny, free-draining borders and gravel planting, where its neat texture works beautifully with grasses, silvers and other drought-tolerant shrubs.
A bright, upbeat hebe with a clean, fresh look that helps a border feel lighter and more composed. Ideal for pots and front-of-border planting, it provides dependable evergreen structure, with flowers adding a gentle seasonal highlight that never feels too bold or busy.
