Hebe or shrub veronica is only partially winter hardy

Content

• Hebe or shrub veronica is only partially winter hardy
• What temperatures does Hebe survive in winter?
• Keep cool but do not overheat
• Slowly get used to the heat after wintering
• So hibernate shrub veronica in the garden
• Tips

Hardly any Hebe variety survives a cold winter outdoors

Hebe or shrub veronica is only partially winter hardy

Although this pretty plant is often offered as hardy, you should not rely on it. Really hardy varieties do not exist. It is better to winterize the only partially hardy Hebe, also called shrub veronica, frost-free in the house. Only with good winter protection she survives the winter in the garden.

Next article Cut hebe or shrub veronica properly

What temperatures does Hebe survive in winter?

Hebe is offered in many varieties in the trade. Among them are supposedly hardy varieties such as Hebe addenda or Hebe armstrongii. The claim that these shrub veronics survive a cold winter outdoors, however, is misleading.

Although the small-leaved varieties tolerate minus temperatures better than large leaved lees. But it should not be colder than minus five degrees at the location - and only for a short time.

Basically, you can overwinter varieties with small leaves with a good winter protection in the garden. On the other hand, large-leaved varieties should be collected from the beginning in the tub, so that you can overwinter the plant frost-free.

Keep cool but do not overheat

Hebe can be grown year-round as an ornamental plant in the house or maintained in the tub on the terrace. You can also plant in the field as proven hardy varieties designated shrub veronics if you provide winter protection in winter.

In the bucket or pot pulled hoe needs in winter a cool, but frost-free place. This also applies to varieties that you hold in the flower window.

In winter, place the pots in a place where temperatures of ideally five to ten degrees prevail. The location must be bright otherwise the leaves will turn yellow. Suitable places are:

Slowly get used to the heat after wintering

As temperatures rise in the spring, start slowly getting the lifting back to warmer temperatures.

You should not bring the ornamental plant right into the warm living room, but first put it a bit warmer by the hour.

Lifting in the bucket you are allowed to bring outside on frost-free days. Only if it freezes at night, you should bring back to the house.

So hibernate shrub veronica in the garden

If you've planted hardy varieties in the field, there are two ways to hibernate them. You can dig them out in the fall and put them in a bucket. This is then wintered in a frost-free place.

If there is no possibility of bringing shrub veronica into the house in winter, sprinkle a mulch cover around the plant. Suitable for foliage or grass clippings.

Cover the plant with brushwood or, even better, fir branches. Fir branches have the advantage that the needles fall off in the spring and so light reaches the hoist.

Tips

The native of New Zealand ornamental plant needs a very bright but not too sunny location. The flowering time depends on the respective variety and can last from May to July. Late varieties bloom from August to October.