Illustration
Photo credits and licenses
Real photographs from naturalists and photographers worldwide, each used under its own license. Credit: Photo by Evgenij Samarin / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Terry Instone / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Terry Instone / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Terry Instone / iNaturalist (CC BY) and Photo by Dmitriy Bochkov / iNaturalist (CC BY). How photos are sourced →
Veronica
Veronica spicata
Veronica blooms from June through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Veronica
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Veronica. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Veronica
Plant Veronica in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Veronica get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Veronica in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Veronica
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Veronica about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Veronica to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Veronica's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionVeronica spicataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenVeronica spicata 'Spike'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenVeronica spicataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenVeronica spicata subsp. incanaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionVeronica, the genus entryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSVeronica spicataheight, spread, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- RHSVeronica spicata subsp. spicataheight, spread, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionVeronica spicataheight, hardiness zones and sun
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extension, Flowers (Speedwell, Veronica spicata)height, hardiness zones and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 10 varieties across 4 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Crater Lake Blue
- First Love
- Giles van Hees
- Icicle
- Pink Damask
- Purpleicious
- Red Fox
- Royal Candles
- Snow Candles
- Sunny Border Blue
Compare every variety in the Veronica group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crater Lake Blue | Blue | May–Jun | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 8 in × 16 in |
| First Love | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 16 in × 12 in |
| Giles van Hees | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 8 in × 12 in |
| Icicle | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Pink Damask | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Purpleicious | Purple | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Red Fox | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 16 in × 12 in |
| Royal Candles | Blue | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 16 in × 12 in |
| Snow Candles | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 16 in × 12 in |
| Sunny Border Blue | Blue | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Veronicathis page | Blue | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Veronica
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
After the first flush fades, shear the whole plant hard, down to the low basal rosette. That triggers fresh foliage and a repeat bloom into fall. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
How drought tolerant is it
Sources split: one calls it moderately drought tolerant, others say its shallow roots need steady moisture. The real answer is average water, not the dry-tolerant creeping veronicas. per University of Florida and Missouri Botanical Garden
Wet soil is the killer
The top way to lose it is root rot in soggy ground, worst in cold, wet winter soil. It shrugs off poor, rocky soil far better than wet feet. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Shade is a double penalty
Shade both thins the bloom and invites powdery and downy mildew. Full sun with airy spacing and watering at the base fixes both at once. per Illinois and Michigan State
Draws bees and butterflies
The dense spikes of tiny florets open in succession over a long summer, giving bees and butterflies steady forage; the genus page adds hummingbirds. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits usually leave spike speedwell alone, so it fits an unfenced border where browsing is a problem. per NC State and Wisconsin
What pairs well with Veronica
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Aster
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 4 in, for the front of the border.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Lilac
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 10 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Featured in these guides
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.