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.
Mature height: 2-3 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant veronica (speedwell), by zone
Every zone veronica (speedwell) grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 16–May 23 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | May 1–May 8 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | Apr 26–May 3 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Apr 11–Apr 18 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Mar 27–Apr 3 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Mar 11–Mar 18 | First real harvest the season after planting |
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.
Varieties worth considering
- Sunny Border Blue: The 1993 Perennial Plant of the Year, a hybrid speedwell with dense spikes of dark violet-blue flowers from late May until frost, about 18 to 24 inches tall. The Missouri Botanical Garden lists it as hardy in zones 4 to 9, a good cut flower, and generally avoided by deer and rabbits. Its one weakness is root rot in wet, poorly drained soil. (source)
Why each variety is listed comes from the source shown next to it. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement. The buy links are separate from those sources: they go to seed suppliers that sell that exact variety, and we may earn a commission on some of them.
Where to buy veronica seeds
True Leaf Market (each supplier's 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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