Veronica 'Very Van Gogh'

Veronica 'Very Van Gogh': Rosy-Purple Spikes That Branch Out

'Very Van Gogh' can't paint just one spike. Every stem shoots out a crowd of rosy-purple side spikes, like an artist who got very into the brushwork. STARRY NIGHT, ROSY DAY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Veronica hybrid
• Common Name: Spike Speedwell
• Height: 46–51 cm (18–20 in)
• Spread: 51–61 cm (20–24 in)
• Flowers: Rosy-purple, paintbrush-like spikes, with many side spikes on each stem
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to late summer (July to August)
• Foliage: Bright green, upright and clumping, sometimes with red tints in fall
• Features: Long blooming, salt tolerant, good cut flower

Where to Plant: Plant it at the front to middle of a sunny border, in a cottage garden or in a pollinator bed. It's full enough to stand alone in a container and branched enough for a cut-flower bed. It's salt tolerant, so it can handle a bed near a salted walk or driveway.

Companion Plants: Use 'Very Van Gogh' in a sunny or part-shade bed with sky-blue stars, a pink peony and arching goldenrod. Amsonia 'Starstruck' opens sky-blue stars at 76 to 91 cm in May and June. Paeonia 'Angel Cheeks' adds soft pink bomb peonies at 70 cm in June. Solidago 'Fireworks' brings arching golden sprays at 90 to 120 cm in August and September. Miscanthus 'Purpurascens' rises behind at 120 to 180 cm, turning red-orange in fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to fertile, well-drained soil. Work in compost if you have heavy clay or very sandy ground. Water regularly in the first season and during long dry spells. Deadhead the spent spikes to encourage more side spikes to bloom. Shear the clump back if the leaves look worn after flowering. Cut it back in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the centre thins.

History: 'Very Van Gogh' came from Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, where it was selected in 2008 as a seedling of Veronica 'Baby Doll'. It's part of the Walters Artist Series with 'Perfectly Picasso', 'Royal Rembrandt' and 'Da Vinci Delight'.

Final Thoughts: Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies all show up, and deer and salt don't stand a chance. HANG A MASTERPIECE IN THE BORDER.