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Plantaginaceae
Spike Speedwell
Veronica spicata
Loyalty and safe passage.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Genus
- Veronica
- Native to
- Europe, northern Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained
- Water
- low to medium
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The genus name honors Saint Veronica, who legend says wiped Christ's face with a cloth.
- Travelers in medieval Europe pinned a sprig to their cloaks as a charm for a safe journey.
- Its narrow vertical spikes are a contemporary garden designer's favorite for adding rhythm to perennial borders.
- Bumblebees work the spikes from bottom to top — and crops of pollen are heaviest at the lowest open flower.
- Cultivars now span true blue to bright pink, but the wild species is almost always violet-blue.
Color meanings
Blue
fidelity
Purple
remembrance
Pink
tender wishes
White
honest devotion