Veronica spicata
Spiked Speedwell
Common names: Spike Speedwell, Spiked Veronica, Blue Spiked Speedwell
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Spiked speedwell, botanically Veronica spicata, is a native perennial of dry grasslands and sunny slopes that has become rare in many places in the wild. From a tuft of toothed, dark green leaves, stems grow 30 to 60 cm tall and from June bear slender, dense spikes of small flowers. In the wild form the flowers are blue to violet, while garden cultivars also come in pink and white. Flowering lasts until August, and after cutting back it often blooms again into September. Bees, bumblebees and hoverflies readily visit the spikes. In the garden it can be planted at the edge of a sunny perennial bed, in a rock garden, in front of grasses, or in a flower meadow, and it also grows well in a pot. It does not spread aggressively and remains a stable clump as long as the soil is not too rich. Buy plants and seed from a nursery, and never dig up or pick anything at a wild site. For meadows, use regional seed mixtures.
Care instructions
Plant spiked speedwell from March to May or in September in a sunny spot with well-drained soil, leaving 30 cm between neighbouring plants. In the first year, water regularly so the shallow roots establish well, and later water thoroughly and directly at the soil during prolonged dry spells. Waterlogging is the most common mistake: on heavy soil, add sand or grit to the planting hole. Cut off spent spikes once they turn brown, ideally down to the next pair of leaves, and it often flowers a second time. In late autumn or early spring, cut all stems back to about a hand's width above the soil. Every three to four years, divide the clump in spring when its centre becomes thin. Too much shade or overly rich soil makes the stems long and soft, causing them to flop over.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, loamy, sandy, lime-loving
Spiked speedwell grows best on well-drained, rather lean to moderately nutrient-rich soil that does not become bone dry in summer. Loamy sand or sandy loam are ideal. It gladly takes lime-rich soil and also tolerates slightly acidic garden soil. What matters is that no water stands in winter, because waterlogging makes the shallow roots rot. On heavy soils, work in plenty of sand or fine grit before planting.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar
Spiked speedwell needs only little food. In March, spread a thin layer of mature compost around the plant; that is enough for the whole year. Too much fertiliser makes the shoots long and soft, so that they flop in the rain. In a container, give a weakly mixed liquid fertiliser for flowering plants about every four weeks during the growing season.
Overwintering
Spiked speedwell is fully hardy and survives frost down to about minus 30 degrees in Central Europe without protection. The only danger to it is wet in winter: on heavy soils, plant it slightly raised or mix in sand. Cut the shoots back to a hand's breadth above the ground in late autumn or in February. In a container, stand the pot on feet against a sheltered house wall so that water can drain away, and water only on frost-free days if it stays dry for a long time.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
- Cuttings
The most reliable way to propagate speedwell is by division: in March or September, lift the clump, divide it into pieces the size of the palm of your hand with several shoots each and replant them immediately. Cuttings also work well: in May or June, cut shoot tips about 8 cm long, remove the lower leaves and insert them in moist seed compost until they root after a few weeks. The species can also be sown: from March, sow on seed compost, only press the fine seeds in and keep them bright at about 18 degrees; they germinate after two to four weeks. Cultivars do not come true from seed, so divide or take cuttings of them instead.
For your garden
Grow Spiked Speedwell yourself
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