| Hi! My roomate just came home with six 1 gallon Hebes, variety 'Pinnochio'. They are a fleshy-leaved, variegated plant. The nursery tag says that they have purple flowers, but nothing else. I can't find this variety on-line, or in my Sunset Garden Book. Can you provide any further details (i.e. light requirements, eventual size, how far apart to plant them, etc.)? |
| Hebe, also called shrub Veronica, is one of those utilitarian garden plants that grows equally well in acidic or alkaline soils, as long as they're well-draining. Provide full sun to part afternoon shade, and expect a mature size of about 3' in all directions. Spikes of purple flowers should appear in early summer and continue through autumn. With a few exceptions, hebes are hardy to zone 7 but you may need to provide some winter protection for your plants if they're growing in a low, or especially cold spot in the garden. To give each plant ample room to reach full size in the landscape, I'd set them 3' apart. |
