Which Hebe is Right for Your Garden? A Guide to Every Variety We Grow
Share
Hebes are one of New Zealand's great garden plants. Tough, versatile, and reliably floriferous, they suit everything from coastal gardens to formal borders — and with so many varieties available, there is a Hebe for almost every situation. But with so much choice, it can be hard to know which one to pick.
This guide covers every Hebe variety we grow at Mohua Nursery, with honest notes on size, flowers, best uses, and growing conditions, so you can choose with confidence.
Quick Comparison: Hebes at a Glance
| Variety | Height | Flower Colour | Flowering Season | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hebe speciosa | 1–1.5 m | Rich purple-red | Summer–autumn | Coastal feature, bold border |
| Hebe salicifolia (Koromiko) | 1–2 m | White to pale lilac | Summer | Shelter, wildlife, naturalistic |
| Hebe odora | 60–90 cm | White | Spring–summer | Low hedge, border, rockery |
| Hebe Inspiration | 60–90 cm | Bright purple | Spring–summer | Border, containers, mass planting |
| Hebe Wiri Prince | 60–90 cm | Deep purple | Spring–summer | Border, containers |
| Hebe Wiri Mist | 40–60 cm | White | Spring–summer | Low border, edging, containers |
| Hebe Wiri Image | 60–90 cm | Violet-purple | Spring–summer | Border, mixed planting |
| Hebe Emerald Gem | 30–40 cm | White | Spring | Edging, rockery, low hedge |
| Hebe Lollipop | 30–40 cm | White | Spring–summer | Edging, containers, formal |
| Hebe Chocolate Box Strawberry Truffle | 40–60 cm | Pink | Spring–summer | Feature, containers, border |
The Bold, Larger Hebes
These varieties make a real statement in the garden and are ideal as feature shrubs or informal hedges.
Hebe speciosa
One of the most striking of all Hebes, Hebe speciosa is a coastal native of northern New Zealand with large, glossy leaves and spectacular spikes of rich purple-red flowers from summer through to autumn. Growing 1–1.5 metres tall and wide, it is a bold, architectural shrub that thrives in coastal conditions and is highly salt and wind tolerant. It is one of the parent species of many modern Hebe cultivars. Choose Hebe speciosa if you want a large, dramatic flowering shrub for a coastal garden or a bold focal point in a mixed border.
Hebe salicifolia (Koromiko)
Koromiko is one of New Zealand's most widespread native Hebes, found naturally along stream banks and forest margins throughout the country. Growing 1–2 metres tall, it produces long, elegant racemes of white to pale lilac flowers in summer that are highly attractive to bees and butterflies. It is more tolerant of shade and wet conditions than most Hebes. Koromiko also has a long history of medicinal use in Māori rongoā (traditional medicine). Choose Koromiko for a naturalistic, wildlife-friendly planting, a shaded or moist site, or where you want a taller, more informal Hebe with ecological value.
The Mid-Sized Border Hebes
These are the workhorses of the Hebe world — compact enough for most gardens, floriferous, and easy to maintain.
Hebe Inspiration
Hebe Inspiration is one of the most reliable and free-flowering of all the mid-sized Hebes. Growing 60–90 cm tall with a neat, rounded habit, it produces masses of bright purple flower spikes from spring through summer and often into autumn. The dark green foliage provides a handsome backdrop to the vivid flowers. It is excellent in containers, mixed borders, and mass plantings. Choose Hebe Inspiration for reliable, long-lasting purple flowers, a tidy habit, and versatility in borders or pots.
Hebe Wiri Prince
Part of the celebrated New Zealand-bred Wiri series, Hebe Wiri Prince is a compact, bushy shrub growing 60–90 cm tall with deep purple flower spikes in spring and summer. It has attractive dark green foliage with a slight bronze tint and is more cold-hardy than many Hebes, making it a good choice for cooler inland gardens. Choose Hebe Wiri Prince for deep purple flowers, cold hardiness, and a tidy, compact form suited to borders and containers.
Hebe Wiri Image
Another outstanding variety from the Wiri series, Hebe Wiri Image produces beautiful violet-purple flower spikes over a long season from spring through summer. Growing 60–90 cm tall with a dense, rounded habit, it is an excellent border plant and looks particularly effective in mass plantings. Choose Hebe Wiri Image for violet-purple flowers and a reliable, long-flowering performance in mixed borders.
Hebe odora
Hebe odora is a tough, adaptable species native to subalpine and montane areas of New Zealand, making it one of the most cold-hardy Hebes available. Growing 60–90 cm tall with small, densely packed leaves and white flowers in spring and summer, it has a neat, box-like habit that makes it excellent for low hedging and formal edging. It is also one of the most wind and frost tolerant of all Hebes. Choose Hebe odora for cold, exposed, or high-altitude gardens, low informal hedging, or a tidy, structural shrub that needs minimal maintenance.
Hebe Wiri Mist
The most compact of the Wiri series, Hebe Wiri Mist grows 40–60 cm tall with a neat, mounding habit and masses of pure white flower spikes in spring and summer. Its small, bright green leaves and clean white flowers make it a versatile plant that works equally well as a low border edging, in containers, or as a groundcover. Choose Hebe Wiri Mist for a compact, white-flowering Hebe that suits small spaces, containers, and low border edging.
The Compact and Dwarf Hebes
These smaller varieties are perfect for edging, rockeries, containers, and tight spaces where a larger shrub would overwhelm.
Hebe Emerald Gem
Hebe Emerald Gem is one of the most popular compact Hebes in New Zealand gardens. It forms a tight, rounded dome of bright emerald-green foliage just 30–40 cm tall, with small white flowers in spring. Its naturally neat, bun-shaped habit means it rarely needs pruning, making it ideal for low-maintenance edging, rockeries, and formal borders. Choose Hebe Emerald Gem for a tidy, low-maintenance edging plant with a naturally neat form that requires minimal clipping.
Hebe Lollipop
Hebe Lollipop is a charming compact variety that forms a perfect rounded mound 30–40 cm tall, with small, dense leaves and white flowers in spring and summer. Like Emerald Gem, its naturally tidy habit makes it very low maintenance. It works beautifully as a formal edging plant, in containers, or planted in rows along a path. Choose Hebe Lollipop for a compact, formal edging plant or container specimen with a naturally rounded shape.
Hebe Chocolate Box Strawberry Truffle
One of the most eye-catching compact Hebes, Chocolate Box Strawberry Truffle combines attractive bronze-tinged foliage with pretty pink flower spikes from spring through summer. Growing 40–60 cm tall, it is a real feature plant — the warm foliage tones and pink flowers work beautifully in mixed borders and containers. Choose Hebe Chocolate Box Strawberry Truffle for pink flowers, bronze foliage interest, and a compact size that suits containers and feature positions in a border.
General Hebe Care Tips
Most Hebes share similar growing requirements, making them easy to care for:
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade. Most Hebes flower best in full sun.
- Soil: Free-draining soil is essential — Hebes dislike waterlogged conditions. They tolerate poor soils well.
- Watering: Water regularly for the first season. Once established, most Hebes are reasonably drought-tolerant.
- Pruning: Lightly trim after flowering to maintain a compact shape and encourage the next flush of blooms. Avoid cutting back into old, bare wood.
- Fertilising: A light application of slow-release fertiliser tablets in spring will support strong flowering.
- Frost tolerance: Varies by variety — species Hebes (speciosa, odora, salicifolia) and the Wiri series are generally more cold-hardy than ornamental cultivars.
Shop All Hebes at Mohua Nursery
Browse our full range of Hebe varieties — all grown to premium quality and ready for your New Zealand garden: