Rakai hebe

Sun

Full sun or light partial shade; shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells; avoid persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained soil, from sandy to loamy, with moderate fertility; tolerates acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Short clusters of white flowers in early to midsummer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, smooth, bright to mid-green leaves arranged in opposite pairs on densely branching stems.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.1 ft (0.65 m)

5. After 5 years

   2.5 ft (0.75 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in spring in colder areas, keeping the crown at soil level.
• Water deeply during establishment, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings.
• Improve drainage or use a raised bed where winter soil stays wet.
• Apply a thin mulch in spring, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; avoid heavy feeding and late-season fertiliser.

Pruning. Lightly trim after flowering to maintain a compact mound, cutting within leafy growth rather than into bare old wood. Remove frost-damaged shoots in spring once new growth shows which stems are alive.

Spring

Plant new shrubs once the soil is workable and severe frost has passed.

Mid-spring

Remove dead or frost-damaged shoots and renew the mulch without covering the crown.

Early summer

Check young plants during dry weather and water deeply when needed.

Midsummer

Lightly trim after flowering, staying within leafy growth.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Late autumn

Check drainage and shelter exposed plants from cold winds; avoid pruning.

• Plant along paths as a low, informal evergreen edging that needs little clipping.
• Repeat rounded shrubs through a gravel garden with ornamental grasses for year-round structure.
• Use at the front of a mixed border with lavender and hardy geraniums.
• Grow in a well-drained container to provide a compact evergreen feature on a sunny patio.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Dry gravel garden, Low-maintenance, Small-space, White garden and Contemporary minimal.

Plant it with: Lavender, Catmint, Hardy geranium, Blue fescue, Rock rose and Creeping thyme.

Wildlife: The flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other visiting insects. Dense evergreen growth offers some shelter for small garden wildlife.

• Root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage, keep the crown uncovered and avoid frequent watering of already damp soil.
• Winter scorch or shoot dieback: provide shelter from cold winds and remove dead growth in spring, not during freezing weather.
• Leaf spots or downy mildew in damp, crowded conditions: improve airflow, water at soil level and remove badly affected foliage.
• Leggy growth or poor recovery after hard pruning: give adequate light and trim lightly after flowering rather than cutting into bare wood.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular part is recognised as poisonous, but species-specific safety information is limited; it is an ornamental plant, not a food plant.

• White hebe (Hebe albicans)

  Also forms a rounded shrub with white flowers, but its foliage is distinctly grey-green rather than the greener foliage of Rakai hebe.

• Thick-leaved hebe (Hebe pinguifolia)

  Has noticeably thicker, usually blue-grey leaves, often with reddish edges, rather than the smaller, greener leaves of Rakai hebe.

Hebe is named after the Greek goddess of youth, while rakaiensis refers to the Rakaia area of New Zealand.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from non-flowering shoots in late summer and root them in a free-draining medium under humid, frost-free conditions. Seed is possible, but seedlings may vary where other hebes grow nearby.

Accepted botanical name

Veronica rakaiensis Hebe rakaiensis is an older name for Veronica rakaiensis.

Native range

New Zealand South.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.