Hebe Orphan Annie

Hebe 'Orphan Annie'® is a variety of hybrid shrubby veronica offering evergreen variegated foliage that changes throughout the seasons. Its long green-centred leaves are edged with cream white. The purple young shoots are very attractive above the foliage. In early summer, a magenta pink flowering completes the picture. This refined and elegant small bush is relatively hardy and easy to grow in regions where the winter is not too severe. This variety naturally forms a beautiful, compact and dense evergreen cushion, ornamental all year round. The plant is disease resistant, undemanding regarding soil type and is drought resistant once well established in the garden. It is also an excellent plant for the terrace.

Hebe 'Orphan Annie' is a recent hybrid cultivar. It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is related to perennial veronicas. It forms a small regular bush with a compact and rounded habit, reaching about 60 cm (24 in) in all directions. Its reddish stems, which lignify with age, bear thin, long, thick, and leathery elliptical leaves. They display an olive green centre edged with cream white. The leaves turn golden yellow when exposed to cold. The young shoots are purple and become red in winter. Flowering mainly occurs in May-June, sometimes with a second bloom in autumn. It takes the form of simple lateral inflorescences resembling long thin bottlebrushes of 5 cm (2 in). They are composed of a multitude of small flowers: the floral buds, slightly tinged with white, reveal their intense magenta pink colour when they open. 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 for 'Orphan Annie'®), Hebes are generally offered alongside perennial plants as their usage is closer to these than to shrubs. The 'Orphan Annie'® variety, on the other hand, naturally develops a compact and dense growth habit that is well suited for ornamental use on terraces and balconies, mixed with heathers or creeping rosemary, for example. In favourable climates it can create neat and elegant borders throughout the summer and be highly decorative in winter. In cold regions, Hebes can be cultivated in large pots on the terrace and stored in a bright, unheated room during winter.