Veronica spicata 'Verspi' BUBBLEGUM CANDLES® speedwell
Veronica
The genus Veronica belongs among the most numerous and the most diverse groups of flowering plants of the temperate zone. It includes several hundred species distributed almost worldwide, from alpine meadows and forest understories to dry steppes and coastal rocks. It was described in the 18th century by Carl Linnaeus, who adopted an already established name linked to the legend of Saint Veronica. The legend says that she offered Christ a piece of cloth during his arduous journey to Golgotha, with which he wiped sweat and blood off his face. His image was said to have miraculously imprinted itself on the fabric, the so‑called vera icon, or “true image”. This idea of a faithful, unembellished imprint of reality was symbolically transferred in pre‑modern botany to speedwells, whose small, clearly drawn flowers were perceived as honest and needing no adornment.
Spiked speedwell is our native European perennial, botanically described as early as the 18th century. In the wild, it grows on dry meadows, steppe slopes, and open hillsides of Europe and western Asia with well‑drained soils, where it forms firm, compact clumps and blooms in upright spikes. It belongs to the group of speedwells adapted to full sun and relatively dry conditions. The inflorescences appear from early summer and give the plant a clear, vertical silhouette which distinguishes it from creeping or ground‑covering species. It is often hybridized with related species (V. longifolia, V. incana) to obtain longer inflorescences, slightly different foliage, or increased drought tolerance. The combination of its simplicity and natural beauty has ensured its long‑standing popularity in cottage and naturalistic gardens, and in England it has even become the official flower of Montgomeryshire in Wales.
BUBBLEGUM CANDLES® is another successful introduction by the Dutch breeder Janus Verschoor, who has an extensive record of perennial cultivars across a wide range of plant genera. This spiked speedwell was selected in 2010 as a single outstanding plant from a large group of seedlings. It is an exceptionally charming dwarf cultivar with bubblegum‑pink flowers. Plant patent PP29780 was granted in 2018.
The flowers are arranged in short, spike‑like inflorescences, appearing in June and repeating intermittently until early autumn. Broadly lanceolate, dark green leaves form dense, low clumps that perform well in rock gardens, containers, and the front of perennial borders. The cultivar has a soft, playful character thanks to the colour of its flowers and combines beautifully with pastel shades of lilac, violet, and blue – for example alongside lavenders, low‑growing salvias, gauras, or fine‑textured ornamental grasses. White-flowered perennials are great companions. In more contemporary plantings it can be used as a colour accent in regular groupings, while in romantic or cottage‑style gardens it excels in looser combinations with other low perennials. It also pairs surprisingly well with warm, gentle tones of orange to gold (such as gaillardias), provided no strongly cool colours are present nearby, and harmonises particularly well with inky blue‑violet shades of gentians and delphiniums.
Spiked speedwell and its hybrids are undemanding, long‑lived perennials that perform best in full sun and in well‑drained, rather dry soils. They do not tolerate waterlogging: during summer, excess moisture may lead to powdery mildew, while winter wet can cause root rot. On the other hand, they cope well with drought and summer heat. Except for cultivars explicitly noted as remontant without cutting, we recommend cutting the stems back to ground level after flowering, which encourages re-growth and often a second, lighter flush of bloom. The plant is fully hardy to abt. −34 °C (USDA zone 4) and requires no special care or winter protection. It can also be grown year‑round in outdoor containers, provided excellent drainage is ensured as well as occasional light watering.
Last update 01-07-2019; 27-12-2025
