Hebe Leopard Spot

Hebe 'Leopard Spot'® is a variety of hybrid Shrubby Veronica with very original and bright variegated foliage. The evergreen leaves take on a shiny ivory-white dress, speckled with green on the edges. In June pale violet flowering, as attractive in bud as in flower, completes the picture. This relatively hardy small bush is easy to grow in regions where winters are not too harsh. This variety naturally forms a beautiful evergreen cushion, with an upright, very compact and dense habit, ornamental all year round. The plant is disease-resistant, undemanding about soil type, and drought resistant once well established in the garden. It is also an excellent plant for the terrace.

Hebe 'Leopard Spot' is a recent hybrid cultivar, selected in 2017 at the Lowaters nursery in the United Kingdom. It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is similar to perennial veronicas. It forms a small, regular bush with a very compact and upright habit, measuring about 40 cm (16 in) in all directions. Its reddish stems, which lignify with age, bear thin, long, thick and leathery elliptical leaves. They show a cream-white to pale yellow centre, irregularly edged with green spots. Flowering mainly occurs in May-June, sometimes with a second bloom in autumn. It takes the form of simple lateral inflorescences resembling long thin spikes of 5 cm (2 in). They are composed of a multitude of small flowers: the floral buds, slightly tinged with white, reveal the freshness of their pale violet dress when they bloom. Pruning after flowering is recommended to maintain a compact habit and a neat appearance to this Shrubby Veronica.

With relatively slow growth, and being relatively hardy (down to -10°C (14 °F) for 'Leopard Spot'), Hebes are generally grouped with perennial plants because their usage is closer to these than to shrubs The 'Leopard Spot' variety, on the other hand, naturally has a compact and dense growth habit that is well suited for ornamenting terraces and balconies, mixed with heathers or creeping rosemary, for example. In favourable climates it can form neat and bright borders throughout the summer, and be very decorative in winter. In cold regions, Hebes can be grown in large pots on the terrace, to be stored in a bright, unheated room during winter.