Veronica spicata is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is 1–3 feet tall and bears 1 foot long spikes with blue, pink, purple and white flowers. This species is native to northern Europe and Asia.
Veronica spicata, commonly known as spike speedwell, is an upright, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial that typically produces a summer-long bloom of tiny, star-shaped, violet-blue flowers in dense, long-flowering, tapered-at-the-top, spike-like terminal racemes atop stems rising well above a foliage mound to 24-30” tall. Foliage consists of toothed, narrow, linear to lanceolate, medium green leaves (each to 2” long). Flowers typically bloom from mid-June to August. Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. Cultivars with blue, violet-blue, pink and white flowers are available in commerce. Genus name honors Saint Veronica who reportedly gave a handkerchief to Jesus so he could wipe sweat from his face on the way to Calvary, with some genus plants having markings that resemble the markings on the sacred handkerchief.
