Veronica, Speedwell

Veronica, or speedwell, is a roadside plant with masses of pretty flowers that "speed you well." In Ireland, a bit of the perennial plant was pinned onto clothes to keep travelers from accidents. Plants have simple, oblong, two-inch leaves on strong stems. There are many types, ranging from prostrate to several feet tall. The tall forms bear slim, densely branched spikes of small white, blue, pink, or purple flowers in summer.


Veronica, or speedwell, is a roadside plant with pretty flowers. Find this perennial plant in rock gardens and cut flowers.
Veronica, which is also called speedwell, is a multicolor perennial flower.
See more pictures of perennial flowers.

How to grow: Speedwells will succeed in any good, well-drained garden soil in full sun or partial shade. Plants rarely survive in overly wet soils in winter.

Propagation: By division or from seed.

Uses: The taller varieties are beautiful in both bed and border, as well as in the rock garden. They are good cut flowers.

Related species: Veronica latifolia Crater Lake Blue bears flowers of deep blue on 18-inch stems. Veronica prostrata is a mat-forming type with deep blue flowers on four-inch stems. V. longifolia is similar to V. spicata.

Scientific name: Veronica spicata

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