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.
Foliage is the real star, bringing changing tones that keep the shrub looking lively even between flowering peaks. It’s a splendid choice for brightening the front of borders and container displays, and it pairs beautifully with darker evergreens where those lighter colours stand out clearly.
Neat, small-leaved and naturally well behaved, with a fine texture that suits edging and low structure planting beautifully. It’s excellent in sunny, free-draining borders and gravel gardens, where it creates a tidy evergreen framework, and it looks best planted in small groups for a softer, more generous effect.
Rich, warm-toned foliage gives a deeper, more indulgent look—perfect when you want a hebe that brings colour through the leaves as well as the flowers. It’s excellent for modern schemes and pots, and it looks especially striking alongside silvers and fresh greens where the contrast feels deliberate and polished.
A fine-textured evergreen with a naturally tidy habit that brings structure without feeling heavy. It’s ideal for sunny, free-draining borders and gravel planting, where it sits neatly among grasses and other low shrubs, creating a calm, cohesive look that stays smart through the year.
A smart little hebe with foliage that often carries a subtle red trim, especially in cooler weather, giving the plant a touch of winter colour without being showy. Perfect in pots and at the front of borders where you’ll notice the detail up close, and the tidy evergreen habit keeps it useful year-round.
Compact, well-mannered and always presentable, forming a neat evergreen mound that’s easy to place in borders and containers. It provides dependable structure through the year, with flowers adding a gentle seasonal highlight. Used in repeats, it gives a calm rhythm that makes a scheme feel well put together.
A smart, well-mannered hebe that brings dependable evergreen structure and a steady flowering display without ever looking untidy. It’s ideal for front borders and low planting near paths, where it provides that “always looks cared for” finish and helps knit a scheme together.
Compact and tidy, with a clean, evergreen presence that suits smaller gardens beautifully. It’s perfect for edging and container planting, and it works well repeated through a border to create a calm, cohesive look, with flowers adding a gentle seasonal lift.
Rich, cool-toned flowers bring a crisp, jewel-like note, sitting beautifully against the tidy evergreen foliage. It’s perfect for pots and the front of borders, especially alongside silvers and grasses, where the colour reads cleanly and the overall effect feels fresh and modern without being fussy.
A hardy, garden-friendly hebe with a confident shape and plenty of flower, giving borders a fresh, coastal character. It’s particularly useful in mixed planting where you want reliable evergreen structure, and it looks best planted in small groups so the effect feels generous rather than dotted about.
A bright, clean-looking hebe that brings a lighter note to evergreen planting, helping borders feel fresh and composed. It’s excellent in pots and front borders, where it provides dependable structure and a pleasing seasonal display. Used in repeats, it creates a tidy rhythm that holds a scheme together.
Tougher and more upright, with a clean, natural look that suits breezier, coastal-style gardens particularly well. It’s excellent for low screening and boundary planting, bringing steady evergreen structure and a reliable flowering season. A great choice when you want something resilient that still looks smart.
Cool blue flowers bring a crisp, refreshing note, sitting beautifully with silvery foliage and ornamental grasses. It’s perfect for pots and the front of borders where you want a calm, clean colour accent, and the tidy evergreen habit keeps it looking smart long after flowering has passed.
Warm-toned foliage and a lively overall look give this hebe a more colourful, designer feel, like a shrub that’s doing more than just “being green.” It’s excellent for brightening borders and pots, and it pairs beautifully with darker shrubs where the warmer tones glow.
Neat, compact and small-leaved, forming a tidy evergreen mound that looks naturally well behaved. It’s ideal for edging, gravel planting and pots, where fine texture matters, and it works especially well used in little groups to create a calm, cohesive framework through the seasons.
