Veronica Royal Candles

Veronica spicata Royal Candles is a variety of hybrid Veronica that stands out for its compact habit and sculptural, brightly coloured long-lasting summer flowering. Its dense, stout spikes are adorned with tiny, deep blue flowers, rising above abundant dark green foliage that spreads thanks to a strong creeping rootstock. This lovely perennial forms a highly flowered mass covered in butterflies in borders, rockeries or flowering pots. It is very hardy and thrives in any well-drained to dry garden soil, in full sun. Its flowers are perfect for bouquets.

Veronica Royal Candles, also known as Veronica spicata Royal Candles, belongs to the Plantaginaceae family, formerly classified in the Scrophulariaceae family. It is a variety derived from Veronica spicata or spiked speedwell. This perennial plant mainly grows in the mountains, up to 2000 metres (6562 feet) above sea level, and less commonly in plains. It can be found in meadows, dry grasslands, rocky slopes and at the edge of forests, mostly on limestone soil.

Royal Candles has dense and vigorous vegetation, reaching 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18in) high for the foliage, 60 cm (24in) when in flower, spreading over a diameter of 50 cm (20in) from its strong semi-woody rootstock. Its hairy stems are branched towards the top and bear deciduous to semi-evergreen, ovate to linear leaves, with finely toothed edges. In summer, from June to August and sometimes until September, it produces tiny star-shaped flowers at the top of the floral stems tightly packed on dense and erect spikes which are green at the top. These flowers are attractive to bees and provide nectar. The plant self-seeds in the garden, in light soil.

Royal Candles spiked speedwell can be grown in any well-drained, even rocky and limestone soil, preferably in full sun. It is particularly suitable for an alpine garden with rocky soil. While it prefers some moisture at its base, it tolerates drought fairly well once established. This perennial will be very useful to dress the base of shrub roses or in a raised bed, on a slope, in a rockery, combined with echinaceas, stipas, red shrubby salvias, Californian poppies or lavenders. Its blue spikes add height and colour to a low-growing mass of ground-covering plants such as aubrietas, wall bellflowers or cerastiums. The spiked speedwell can be used as a stand-alone specimen and its flowers are also beautiful in summer bouquets.