Emerald Green Hebe

Emerald Green Hebe (Hebe odora 'Emerald Green') grows itself into a tight bun without any help from you. It settles at about 40cm tall and 50cm across, forming a dense dome of small bright green leaves packed closely enough that the shape holds through wind, frost and salt air. Sparse small white flowers appear in the warmer months, but the foliage is the reason to buy it.

Why you'll love it

• The shape is automatic. It forms a neat bun on its own, so you get a clipped look without clipping.
• Genuinely small. At roughly 40cm by 50cm it stays where you put it, with no annual battle to keep it below a window.
• It handles exposure. Frost hardy, wind tolerant and salt tolerant, which covers cold southern gardens and windy coastal blocks in the same plant.
• Safe around pets. Hebes are not toxic to cats or dogs, so it suits a border in a garden a dog uses.
• Bright green all year. The fresh green tone lifts a bed in winter, when most low plantings have gone dull.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a low clipped border. The buns touch and read as one continuous soft edge, and the line stays even without regular trimming.

Rockeries and mass planting. The tight domed habit is what a rockery wants: a solid form that sits against stone without spilling over it.

Pots and topiary. A pot 300mm or wider is plenty, and it makes an easy low ball for either side of a step.

Growing Emerald Green Hebe in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the tightest bun, and part shade costs some density. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy. Hot humid subtropical summers are its weak point, where wet heat brings on root rot.

Soil. Free draining above everything else, with sandy and gravelly soils ideal. On clay, plant on a raised mound, because hebes fail in wet feet faster than in drought.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in dry periods. A light complete fertiliser in early spring keeps the colour bright, and over feeding spoils the tight form.

Pruning. Almost none required. Shear the spent flowers off if you find them untidy, and trim lightly in early spring only if the dome opens out. Avoid cutting back into bare wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are small, usually a rooted cutting with the bun shape beginning, and they are the economical choice for a long border. The larger sizes arrive already domed.

Dense small leaved plants travel well and arrive in good condition. Plant into free draining ground or a pot, then let the soil dry between waterings rather than keeping it wet. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect the buns to touch along a 40cm border within two seasons, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Low growing plant ideas for garden borders
• Browse plants suited to rockeries
• More plants that are safe around pets
• Salt tolerant plants for exposed coastal sites

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a border?

Forty centimetres apart in a single row. The domes meet within about two seasons and form a continuous low edge. Any closer and they push each other out of shape as they mature.

Do I need to trim it to keep the round shape?

No. It forms the bun naturally, which is the main reason to choose it over a plant like box. A light trim in early spring is optional if the dome loosens with age.

Why did mine die suddenly in summer?

Almost always root rot from warm wet soil rather than drought. Hebes want sharp drainage and dislike humid heat, so in a subtropical garden plant on a raised mound in the best drained position.