Scientific Name
Veronica serpyllifolia L.
Common Name(s)
Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Thymeleaf Speedwell, Thyme Speedwell
Synonym(s)
Veronica serpyllifolia var. serpyllifolia, Cardia multiflora, Veronica funesta, Veronica ruderalis, Veronicastrum serpyllifolium
Scientific Classification
Family: Plantaginaceae
Tribe: Veroniceae
Genus: Veronica
Flower
Color: Blue or white
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to early summer
Description
Veronica serpyllifolia is a perennial flowering plant that grows up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall. Leaves are opposite, oval with short stalks, and borne on creeping stems that bear erect, up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall flowering branches.
Flowers are blue or white with blue or purple stripes and appear in racemes on upright stems. The seeds are tiny and disk-shaped, borne in two-lobed pods. The blooming period occurs primarily from mid-spring to early summer for about two months.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 3a to 8b: from −40 °F (−40 °C) to 20 °F (−6.7 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Speedwell thrives in conditions as wide-ranging as full sun to partial shade and in loamy, sandy, or clay dense soils. However, it does prefer a sunny location with well-draining soil. The soil pH can be as liberal as neutral, alkaline, or acidic, with moisture content from average to quite moist.
The hardy, medium-sized plant, with striking 1 to 3 foot (30 to 90 cm) tall flower spikes, flourishes in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. The Speedwell is tolerant of various conditions but prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
Speedwell can be sown from seed; however, it is more commonly purchased from a nursery, so planting it in the garden can take place right away in spring.
Speedwell plant care is relatively low maintenance. To facilitate maximum blooming, it is advisable to remove Speedwell's faded spikes and periodically divide the plant every few years in the early spring or fall.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Speedwell.
Origin
This species is widely naturalized elsewhere.
Links
- Back to genus Veronica
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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