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Sorry looking Hebe

ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236

Good afternoon everyone,

At the minute my Hebe are not looking too healthy, I think this was down to frost damage, so looking at the below pictures, should I give them a chance to recover ( not sure if they will ) or should I just cut my losses and bin them.

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Sheps...image

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Hi Sheps  image

    The variegated ones tend to be a bit less hardy than the 'self coloured' varieties, so they do sometimes get a bit weather damaged, especially with frosts. You can trim them back, but it might be best to wait till there's a spell with no likelihood of frost, as any soft new growth will be susceptible. It often means sacrificing a few flowers, but it's worth doing.

    The variegated ones can be short lived up here because they can't cope with the winters so easily, although that's cold, wet ground more than anything. Difficult to keep the drainage right for them.  I rarely grow those now - too much bother! image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236

    Thanks DR, I will give them a tidy up and see how they go.

    Also, there were lots of tiny, fluorescent green, flying bugs on them, which were about 3mm long and a bit like a Leafhopper, do you know what they are?

    Sheps...image

  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236

    Hi Fairy...thanks for the advice, they were sold as evergreen so I thought they would be OK, but that's not the case image

    Sheps...image

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    Sadly Sheps, evergreen does not necessarily mean hardy.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I take it they weren't just greenfly Sheps? Could be froghoppers - too early here for most insects to be out and about, but if it's froghoppers, they don't really do any harm. Is there a frothy little bundle on any of the stems? They form inside that. image

    Evergreen in most places (most of the time I expect ) but a hard winter can see them off unless they're in the right conditions, and even then, they can succumb. image

    Cold on it's own is ok as long as they have sharp drainage, and it's not for a long spell, but a combo of cold and wet is a problem. Variegated plants of any kind are usually less robust than their self coloured relations. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236

    No, not Greenfly, Fairy...just had a look at one under the magnifying glass and it looked like a Frog / Leafhopper, but they have been around all Winter, whenever I have brushed against any of the plants loads would fly into the air.

    Sheps...image

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    I had one (not variegated) that went brown and dead looking on one side last winter. Rather than chuck it, I gave it a hard prune and it's come back green and healthy.  I had no flowers last summer but hoping for some this year.

    You've nothing to lose by giving it a haircut Sheps, go for it.

  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236

    Thanks Kitty image

  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653

    I have the exact same variety 'Katrina' and it's not particularly hardy. I'm in the SE and noticed it's wilted and browned in a pot. The only plant in the garden that has been bothered by this average winter. I've given it a tough cutting back in hope it regenerates. Mine looks alot worse than yours though! 

    Last edited: 10 March 2017 17:20:09

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Sheps says:

    No, not Greenfly, Fairy...just had a look at one under the magnifying glass and it looked like a Frog / Leafhopper, but they have been around all Winter, whenever I have brushed against any of the plants loads would fly into the air.

    Sheps...image

    See original post

     Yum  image

    They're lovely little things really - my oldest daughter was fascinated by them when she was little image

    Some (non variegated) Hebes will respond well to pruning if they have dead areas, but some don't. It's a question of trial and error sometimes. The bigger leaved varieties are also less hardy than the smaller leaved ones. A spell of cold weather at minus five or more will often see them off. A couple of mine looked a little borderline this winter, but they survived. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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