Veronica petraea Madame Mercier

Veronica petraeae Madame Mercier is a small, hardy, creeping perennial with bright green foliage, covered with clusters of small bright, blue flowers veined with violet from spring to summer. This accommodating alpine plant will thrive in any well-drained, moist but not too dry soil, in full sun or partial shade.

Veronica petraeae is a rhizomatous plant in the plantain family, native to the mountains of the Caucasus, specifically Russia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan.

The 'Madame Mercier' cultivar is an improvement on the species, with particularly bright flowers. This herbaceous perennial grows as a semi-evergreen carpet, reaching 10 cm (4in) high and spreading to a diameter of 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in). It flowers for a long time from May to July, covering the plant with clusters of purple buds that open into small, round, light blue flowers veined with violet. The reddish, prostrate stems are covered with 1 to 3 cm (0 to 1in) long, semi-evergreen, bright green oval leaves with serrated edges, which turn purple when exposed to sunlight.

Veronica Madame Mercier is perfect in alpine rockeries, but also looks lovely in the border of small beds or to soften the edges of pathways. It can be grown in pots, containers, and troughs, where it will gracefully cascade. Pair it with corydalis, alpine asters, azorella trifurcata, or helxine to fill the base of garden irises or hellebores. This little veronica can also be combined with the most beautiful bulbs, including crocuses, which will elegantly mix with its foliage.