NOTEWORTHY PERENNIALS 



157 



Veronica — Speedwell 



When Clirist was laboring beneath the heavy cross, He faltered, 

 and a maiden, St. Veronica, rushed forward to wipe the perspiration 

 from His brow. The impress of His face was found upon her napkin. 

 Such is the story of St. 

 Veronica, and because the 

 markings of some species of 

 Veronica resemble a face, 

 this flower was named after 

 St. Veronica. It is a pretty 

 story and one we recall 

 when looking at this flower. 

 Veronicas are excellent bor- 

 der and rock garden sub- 

 jects. The diversity of the 

 species render them of use 

 in many spots. 



Species. Veronica longi- 

 folia subsessilis. Japanese 

 SpeedweU. This is, per- 

 haps, one of the most at- 

 tractive of ah blue-violet 

 flowers for the border. The 

 long spikes of bloom are 

 2 feet tall and are pro- 

 duced through July to late 

 September. 



V. spicaia grows l3^ feet 

 tall and bears either blue, 

 pink, or white flowers in 

 June. 



V. incana seldom grows over a foot tall and besides having ame- 

 thyst-blue flowers, it has gray fohage. It blooms in July and August. 

 V. virginica, Culver's Root, is a taU sort, 3 to 5 feet high, producing 

 cliisters of white spikes of bloom throughout July. Often called 

 Leptandra v irg in ica . 



V. Teucrium rupeslris and V. repens are dwarf, trailing sorts car- 

 peting the soil with green and covered with pale blue flowers in May 

 and June. 



Uses. As already stated the Veronicas are superb for the peren- 

 nial border and the rock garden. V. Teucrium rupestris and V. repens 



Veronica. The most showy sort is V. longifolia 



var. subsessilis, with its tall spikes of violet 



flowers. 



