Japanese name: ベロニカ スピカタ Scientific name:Veronica spicata
[Overview]
A perennial 30–90 cm tall.
The leaves are simple, opposite or whorled, oblong to lanceolate and about 5 cm long, with serrated margins.
A raceme 5–10 cm long at the stem tip bears dense blue flowers.
The corolla is 4-lobed.
There are garden cultivars with purple, pink or white flowers.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by stem-tip cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, fertile soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
Pests and diseases include damping-off, powdery mildew, gray mold and aphids.
