Hebes.

Is it normal for hebes to look awful at this time of year?

All the leaves have dropped off mine.

 

Hebes are evergreens so far as I am aware (have never heard of a deciduous variety)
They do go straggly and need pruned to shape at times, but they should never lose their leaves

 

Oh dear

 

One of mine has lost all of its leaves but not by dropping off, the chickens love them and even jump onto the top of the bush to get at the top ones.

 

Mine lost leaves last year at this time (and the chickens also enjoyed having a go at it) but it recovered and went on to flower. Its looking very sorry for itself again at the moment (although th chickens can't get to it now!).

 

My parents garden was flooded last summer and her Hebe is now leaning very much to the left due to the strog river currant. Hope I can prune in into shape and foot the roots in a little this spring.still full of leaves mind !

 

The good news is that they seem to be as hardy as nails, and are easy to propogate from cuttings

 

I agree with the above, take some nice cuttings and then even if the parent plant bows out, the young uns will give years of new invigorated pleasure.
:yho:

 

I have variable isues with myine. I have a few different kinds-I haven`t a clue as to their names-my new years resolution is to learn the latin names-afetr I have learned the common names of course.


My green or grey hebes-variegated or not don`t drop leaves ever, but the more purple ones do-without fail and always come back. having said that they never look worth the effort to me-they look pretty feeble next to the green ones. So they are for the compost bin this year.

 

Mine are the purple ones lollipop and I think they will be meeting the compost bin this year.