HEBE Mint Chocolate

Planting Requirements and Ideal Location

• Light Requirements: Hebe 'Mint Chocolate' thrives in full sun to partial shade. Full sun encourages more vibrant foliage colours and better flowering. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade is beneficial.

• Soil Preferences: Prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil. It can tolerate light clay or sandy soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid waterlogged conditions, particularly in winter.

• Moisture Needs: Requires moderate, consistent moisture, especially during dry spells or in the first year after planting. Once established, it is relatively drought-tolerant.

• Planting Time: Best planted in spring or early autumn, allowing roots to establish before temperature extremes.

• Spacing: Space plants 18–24 inches apart. This allows airflow between plants, helping to prevent fungal issues and ensuring room for the naturally mounding shape.

• Sheltered Location: Choose a sheltered spot protected from cold, drying winds and severe frost. Ideal for courtyard gardens, borders, or coastal plantings.

Routine Care, Feeding, and Seasonal Maintenance

• Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season. Established plants only need watering in prolonged dry weather. Avoid overwatering to reduce the risk of root rot.

• Feeding: Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring to encourage healthy growth and blooming. A mulch of organic compost can also boost soil fertility.

• Mulching: Add a 2-inch mulch layer around the base of the plant in spring to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Keep mulch a few inches away from the crown.

• Pruning: Lightly trim after flowering to maintain a compact shape and encourage new growth. Avoid hard pruning into old wood, as it may not regrow well.

• Deadheading: Not essential but removing faded flowers can tidy the plant and redirect energy into foliage development.

• Winter Care: Hardy in USDA Zones 7–10 (UK H4–H5). In colder areas, apply a protective mulch around the roots in late autumn. Container-grown plants can be moved to a sheltered porch or cold greenhouse during winter.

• Pest and Disease Resistance: Generally resistant to pests and diseases. Watch for root rot in poorly drained soil. Occasional aphids or leaf spot may occur in damp or overcrowded conditions.

Foliage, Flowers, and Landscape Use

• Foliage Description: Hebe 'Mint Chocolate' is prized for its unique dark purplish-brown foliage with mint-green margins. The foliage colour intensifies in cooler weather, adding multi-seasonal interest.

• Flowering: Produces soft lilac to pale purple flower spikes in late spring to early summer. The blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

• Growth Habit and Size: Forms a compact, evergreen shrub, reaching about 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide. It maintains a tidy, rounded shape with minimal pruning.

• Seasonal Appeal: Offers year-round interest with evergreen foliage, seasonal blooms, and colourful new growth. Particularly eye-catching in autumn and winter when foliage colour deepens.

• Garden Uses: Excellent for borders, containers, small gardens, gravel gardens, and coastal sites. Also effective as low informal hedging or path edging.

• Container Suitability: Perfectly suited for patio pots or window boxes. Use a free-draining potting mix and ensure containers don’t sit in water.

• Companion Plants: Pairs well with lavender, heuchera, festuca, sedum, and other compact sun-loving perennials or grasses.

We currently only deliver within the island of Ireland, other countries can be quoted for by contacting [email protected] or via telephone on 06964084
 

Standard Delivery is FREE on orders over €250*

All standard deliveries will be completed within 5-7 working days via Fastway Couriers, any delay to this delivery time, the customer will be notified by One of our staff.

The in-Store delivery charge will vary compared with online, in-store delivery charge is done on a case by case basis. 

* Only mainland Ireland addresses qualify for free delivery.
 

Live Plants Delivery

Our live plants are packed with care and diligence by our staff, our horticulturists review each plant before despatch to ensure quality is maintained.
Live Plant delivery charges are not calculated on weight but on the space required per package to ensure safe delivery, so delivery charges may vary as some plants require more space than others when packed.
All live plants are despatched within 3-5 working days where possible, our couriers aim to deliver within 48 hours of despatch from our Garden Centre to allow the plant to arrive in healthy condition.
 

Click & Collect

Can’t wait for delivery? Why not try our FREE Click & Collect service? Simply make your purchase online and collect it from our store located in Croagh Co. Limerick. Our staff will contact you by phone when your order is ready for collection (Please allow 24 hours minimum). When collecting your item, call the store on 069-64084. We will then load into your car as required. This service is available in-store 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday (No collections on Sundays)

Click here for more information about our shipping conditions.

You can pay your online order either by credit card or via Paypal.
If you have any further questions about the online order payment please contact us via ­069 640 84 or mail.