Strawberries & Cream Hebe Plants

• Variety: Strawberries and Cream Hebe, a compact evergreen shrub
• Latin name: Hebe 'Strawberries and Cream' (the RHS now files hebes under Veronica)
• Flowers: Spikes that are pink at the tip and white at the base. Mid to late season
• Foliage: Long, narrow and waxy, green, with deep purple new growth
• Height and spread: Around 45cm (18in) tall, spreading from 50cm to 1m (20in to 3ft)
• Best soil and site: Poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Sun or part shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds
• Pruning: A light trim after flowering. Never cut into old wood
• Hardiness: H4, hardy through an average winter with shelter
• RHS Award of Garden Merit: No
• Wildlife: Hebes are on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list
• Container suitable: Yes, in loam-based compost with grit
• Sold as: Pot-grown in a 2 litre pot
• Delivered: Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Strawberries and Cream is a compact evergreen hebe of around 45cm, with pink flower spikes that fade to white at the base above waxy leaves tipped with purple new growth. The RHS rates it H4, and it wants sun, shelter and poor, gritty soil. It does well in a pot.

Strawberries and Cream Hebe: Pink Tips Over Purple Growth

Tully Nurseries in Ballyboughal, north of Dublin, bred this hebe as part of a dessert-themed series. A sibling, Rhubarb and Custard, won the trade's best new plant award in 2013. Strawberries and Cream earns its name honestly: each spike is pink at the tip and white at the base, held above long, narrow, waxy leaves, and the new growth comes through deep purple.

It is bushy and compact, so it suits the front of a border, a gravel bed or a pot. Give it sun or light shade, poor to moderately fertile soil that drains, and a place out of cold wind. Skip the feed and the rich compost, because they make soft growth that frost catches. On clay, work in grit, not sand.

What Sees Off a Hebe

A sudden hard frost after a mild autumn does the damage, and so do wet roots in winter. Poor, free-draining soil and a spot out of the wind help far more than fleece. In a very cold garden, grow it in a pot that you can move under shelter.

Planting Companions

Hebes flower after the first lavender flush, so a hebe takes over as the lavender fades, in the same sunny, gritty ground. Pink Candy Hebe is the natural partner at the front of the border, at a similar size. On a sunny wall, the blue spring flowers of a ceanothus such as Silver Surprise make a backdrop for the pink, and both plants resent wet feet.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries has sent plants by post since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your hebe arrives pot-grown in peat-free compost, and we despatch potted hebes all year round. Browse the rest of our hebe range, then ring us in Somerset with any question.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I prune a hebe?

After flowering, and lightly. Trim with shears to keep the shape, and remove any winter damage in spring. Do not cut into old wood, because a hebe rarely regrows from it. Replace a leggy plant rather than rescue it.

How big does Strawberries and Cream Hebe grow?

Around 45cm (18in) tall, spreading from 50cm to 1m. It is the smallest hebe we sell, with Pink Candy close behind.

Is Strawberries and Cream Hebe hardy?

The RHS rates it H4, which means hardy through an average winter, given shelter from cold, drying winds. Drainage matters more than fleece. In a very cold garden, grow it in a pot you can move to shelter.

Does a hebe like sun or shade?

Sun or light shade, out of cold wind. Poor, free-draining soil suits it, and on clay you should work in grit.

Should I feed a hebe?

No. Feeding and rich soil make soft growth that frost damages. Poor soil and no feed is nearly all the care it needs.

Can I grow Strawberries and Cream Hebe in a pot?

Yes. It is one of three hebes we recommend for containers. Use loam-based compost with grit, and make sure the pot drains.

Are hebes good for bees?

Yes. The RHS lists hebes, which it files under Veronica, on its Plants for Pollinators list.