Types of Hebe – Compact, Landscape, or Tender

Types of Hebe – Compact, Landscape, or Tender guide illustration

Choose Hebe by class first: a compact hardy mound, a landscape small-leaf shrub, or a tender variegated kind.

Types of Hebe care summary diagram

Choose a compact hardy mound, a landscape small-leaf shrub, or a tender variegated kind

FactorRecommendedAvoid
Compact hardy moundTiny-leaf or whipcord globes for a foundation or potDo not treat every Hebe tag as a 12-inch plant
Landscape small-leafA 2- to 4-foot green dome for a border or low hedgeDo not pick a cream-edged large leaf if you need a hard winter
Tender or variegatedA wall, or a draining pot you can moveDo not put speciosa or elliptica in an open, wet, windy bed
Leaf as a clueSmaller leaf is usually hardier — not a guaranteeDo not buy Patty's Purple as a hardy boxleaf

Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of hebe that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.

2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.

Read leaf size and the mature width before you buy. Small-leaf mounds take a typical West Coast winter. Large-leaf and cream-edged kinds need shelter. [1] [2] Once you know the kind, site it on How to Grow Hebe. [3] [4] Herbaceous speedwell is a different plant — see How to Grow Speedwell.

What is the difference between small-leaf and large-leaf Hebe?

Smaller leaves are usually hardier. Large or heavily variegated leaves burn in a freeze. Patty's Purple is the exception — small leaves, still tender.

Which Hebe should I plant?

Pick a compact hardy mound, a landscape small-leaf shrub, or a tender variegated kind from the groups below. Do not treat every tag as a 12-inch plant.

Browse by kind

Compact hardy mounds

Emerald Gem is a tight 12-inch globe of tiny glossy leaves. Boughton Dome is a gray whipcord mound; Sutherlandii is the silver pinguifolia cushion. These are the hardy small-leaf class.

Landscape small-leaf shrubs

Rakaiensis is the usual 3-foot green dome — shrubby veronica. Topiaria and Vernicosa are the same small-leaf border habit, denser or glossier.

Tender and variegated kinds

Speciosa Variegata and Silver Queen are large or cream-edged leaves that burn in a hard freeze. Patty's Purple has small leaves and still burns in a sudden cold snap. Purple Shamrock, Heartbreaker, and Frozen Flame are foliage kinds for a wall or a pot you can move.

Pick by leaf class and the width on the tag, not by a shop list of extra names. Set the plant on Planting Hebe, and shape it after bloom on Pruning Hebe.

If the tag says only veronica, check whether it is a woody evergreen or a border perennial that dies back.

FAQ

Is Andersonii, Coed, or Western Hills in this list?

No. Those names are not cards here. They still follow the same leaf-and-hardiness split if the tag says Hebe.

Does Purple Shamrock flower much?

Often not. It is grown for cream and purple foliage, not a heavy flower spike.

Is Hebe the same as speedwell?

No. Speedwell dies back each winter. Hebe is a woody evergreen shrub from New Zealand.

References

  1. [1] Oregon State University Horticulture - https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/hebe-landscape-evaluation
  2. [2] Oregon State University Landscape Plants - https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/hebe-emerald-gem
  3. [3] Portland Nursery - https://portlandnursery.com/plant-library/shrubs/hebe/
  4. [4] The Hebe Society - https://www.hebesociety.org/faqs

This note is part of Hebe Guides.

More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.