Growing Veronica (Speedwell): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
Veronica spicata is a straightforward summer perennial: a low mat of foliage with narrow flower spikes standing above it.
Cut it back for a second flush
The first flush finishes in midsummer. Shearing the spent spikes off at that point usually produces a second, smaller round later in the season. Left alone it sets seed and stops.
Drainage over feeding
Hardy zones 3 through 8 in full sun. It wants well-drained soil more than it wants fertility, and the common way to lose it is a wet winter in heavy ground rather than cold.
Give it more than a square
Two to three feet tall and two to two and a half feet across at maturity, so a single square foot understates it considerably. Our spacing allows about two square feet per plant.
Seed needs light and a cold period, so it goes in early and uncovered rather than after the frost date.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Veronica spicata.
Companion planting guide for Veronica (Speedwell) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-8. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Veronica (Speedwell) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Veronica (Speedwell) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: about 2 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-3 ft.
Where to buy veronica seeds
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing veronica (speedwell)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Veronica (Speedwell): Upright summer spikes over a low mat, and deadheading the first flush usually buys a second.
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