Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Veronica filiformis

slender speedwell

A very low-growing, creeping perennial, with very fine stems up to 50cm long, rooting at the nodes and small, rounded leaves. Small, cup-shaped flowers with pale and bright blue petals appear from mid-spring to mid-summer. May have the potential to become a nuisance in some gardens if left unchecked

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

Up to 10cm

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing or North–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Plantaginaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Veronica can be annuals, perennials or sub-shrubs with paired leaves and small flowers usually in terminal or axillary racemes or spikes
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Initially introduced as a rockery plant, but proved too invasive, especially on lawns, and is now considered a weed. See speedwell for further information and advice on how to control

Propagation

Rarely sets seed; spreads naturally by rooting fragments of stem and has the potential to become a nuisance if left unchecked

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds
Banks and slopes

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to downy mildews, fungal leaf spot, fungal rot, Phytophthora and sometimes honey fungus

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.