Veronica longifolia Seeds | Garden Speedwell
LATIN NAME: Veronica longifolia
COMMON NAME: Garden Speedwell
Plant Profile
Garden Speedwell (Veronica longifolia) grows as a sturdy, upright perennial in the plantain family. Garden speedwell earns its keep with a long, quiet season of blue spikes. Sturdy, upright perennial carries narrow, lance-shaped leaves along strong stems, and dense, tapering spikes of small, blue to violet flowers open from early summer to autumn, one of longest seasons of the border. Plant is a fine, easy, dependable presence of sunny border and wilder patch, standing well and asking little. Few species give back so generously for so little effort.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Veronica longifolia, a representative of the plantain family with clear practical value. Garden speedwell turns up often in work on dense, tapering spikes of small, blue to violet flowers and long season of the bloom. It retains a following among breeders and collectors, which keeps seed stocks in circulation.
Uses & Benefits
Garden Speedwell works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Garden speedwell is a willing, easy plant of border and wilder patch. Dense, tapering spikes of blue to violet flowers carry on from early summer to autumn, one of longest seasons of border, and sturdy stems stand well without the staking. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Speedwells are dainty blue wildflowers with mild folk tea records for chest and skin; in gardens they are effortless, long-blooming fillers.
Growing from Seed
Raising Garden Speedwell from seed is straightforward. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. The seed responds well to a cool, moist stratification period, which helps it break dormancy evenly. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
It forms a sturdy, upright perennial, which makes spacing and siting straightforward. Once established, Garden Speedwell largely looks after itself. The seed responds well to a spell of cold stratification, a small step that pays off.
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