Veronica Magic Show® 'White Wands'

Veronica Magic Show® 'White Wands': A Fistful of Crisp White Wands

'White Wands' waves pure white spikes over glossy dark green leaves, and frankly the garden behaves better when it's around. Tidy, short and a little bossy. BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BLOOM.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Veronica hybrid
• Common Name: Spike Speedwell
• Series: Magic Show®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 36–41 cm (14–16 in)
• Spread: 41–51 cm (16–20 in)
• Flowers: Pure white spikes
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July), often reblooming into September
• Foliage: Glossy, narrow, dark green leaves in a short, dense clump
• Features: Long blooming, salt tolerant

Where to Plant: White spikes calm down a busy border and brighten a planting at dusk. Use it at the front of a sunny bed, in containers or in groups along a walkway, and its salt tolerance suits spots near a driveway.

Companion Plants: Use Magic Show® 'White Wands' in a sunny or part-shade bed with a pale yellow peony, red bee balm and amber daylilies. Paeonia 'Primevère' opens white and pale yellow peonies at 90 cm in May and June. Monarda 'Fireball' adds deep red bee balm at 60 to 70 cm from July to September. Hemerocallis 'Mauna Loa' brings amber-gold daylilies at 55 to 60 cm in July and August. Miscanthus 'Zebrinus' rises behind at 180 to 210 cm with gold-banded blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to fertile, well-drained soil. Add compost to heavy clay or very light soil. Keep it evenly watered, especially in its first year. Deadhead or shear after the first flush of flowers to encourage the fall rebloom. If the clump looks worn later in summer, trim it back to fresh leaves. Cut it to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the centre gets sparse.

History: 'White Wands' is one of the Magic Show® spike speedwells from Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, sold under the Proven Winners® brand. Its foliage resists disease better than many older veronicas.

Final Thoughts: Long blooming, deer resistant and salt tolerant, it often keeps going well past its bedtime. WAVE IT AT THE CHECKOUT.