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Veronica montana

wood speedwell

Plantaginaceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Veronica montana is a low, creeping perennial of damp woodland, with weak, hairy stems 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) long that trail along the ground and root at the nodes. The stems are hairy all the way round, unlike many speedwells, and carry pairs of soft, rounded, toothed, pale green leaves on short stalks. From late spring into summer slender stalks rise from the leaf axils bearing loose spikes of a few small flowers about 0.3 inch (8 mm) across, pale lilac to milky blue with darker veins. After flowering the seed capsules are flat and broadly notched, wider than they are long, and fringed with hairs. It grows in moist, shaded, humus-rich ground in deciduous woodland and along shaded streams and hedge banks, and spreads gently to form open patches. It needs cool, damp shade and fades quickly on dry or sunny ground. The stems are brittle and the plant is easily overrun by stronger ground cover. It stays low and is rarely showy, giving soft colour among woodland-floor plants.

Native Range

Veronica montana is native to Europe and western Asia, in damp deciduous woodland, shaded stream sides, and humus-rich hedge banks. It favours cool, moist, lightly shaded ground.

Suggested Uses

Used as low ground cover in damp, shaded woodland and wildlife gardens, along shaded stream margins, and under hedges and shrubs. It knits over moist, shaded soil where taller plants leave bare patches.

How to Identify

Recognise it by the creeping, evenly hairy stems with pairs of soft, rounded, toothed, pale green leaves on clear stalks, and the sparse spikes of pale lilac-blue flowers in early summer. The all-round hairiness and the broad, flat, deeply notched seed capsules separate it from the germander and other woodland speedwells. The whole plant is soft and low.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2" - 6"

Width/Spread8" - 1'4"

Colors

Flower Colors

purple

blue

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Spring Summer

Pale lilac-blue flowers open from May to July, a few at a time on slender axillary stalks. Bloom is light and scattered rather than showy, lasting through early summer. Small bees and hoverflies visit the open flowers.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

pale green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 1-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Forms cover within 1-2 seasons

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in cool, moist, humus-rich soil in part to full shade, such as a woodland floor or shaded bank. Steady moisture through the growing season is needed, and the plant fails on dry, sunny, or impoverished ground. It spreads by rooting, trailing stems to make low ground cover and is easily divided in spring. No feeding is required on leafy woodland soil. Trimming stray runners keeps it within bounds in small plantings. Once established in damp shade it needs little attention.

Pruning

No formal pruning is needed. Trailing stems are trimmed back in spring or after flowering where the patch outgrows its space. The low foliage is left over winter and tidied as new growth appears.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic