Remarks

Low growing, drought tolerant evergreen groundcover that becomes covered in tiny sky blue flowers in early spring for about 6 weeks, then sporadically throughout the year. I’ve seen a few twinkling blue blooms in every month of the year. The tiny leaves of V. pectinata are gray-green and tomentose. Allow plenty of room for the spread of this fabulous groundcover; it’ll just keep going and going and going. And you won’t want it to stop. 

Not a native plant, from southern Eurasia, where many of our non-native xeric plants come from. Veronica pectinata is very easy to propagate from root cuttings. I usually dig up a small clump at the edge of its spread and pot up the individual roots in the fall. I then bury the pots in the ground, water them in and periodically in the winter when the weather permits. By spring planting, a strongly rooted 4-inch plant is waiting for transplant.

A terrific plant for falling over rocks and in the hellstrip next to sidewalks and the street – it can really take the heat. For variety, try V. pectinata ’Rosea’, a rose flowered groundcover, or V. x ‘Blue Reflection’.

Use in Garden

Sunny xeric bed or border. Groundcover. Rock garden.

Maintenance

None, except checking its spread when needed.