Veronica 'Waterperry Blue'- Speedwell Creeping

Veronica peduncularis 'Waterperry Blue' is a vigorous, low-growing perennial groundcover celebrated for its delicate beauty and remarkable durability in the landscape. This creeping speedwell forms dense mats of foliage that create an elegant carpet effect while remaining functional enough to suppress weeds and tolerate light foot traffic.

The cultivar produces an abundance of tiny, half-inch flowers that blanket the foliage from late April through May, with intermittent reblooming possible throughout the summer months into early autumn. Each dainty blossom displays a captivating pale sky blue to lavender-blue coloration, distinctively marked with dark veining that radiates from a white eye at the center. The flowers emerge on short stems that rise just above the foliage, creating a low haze of color that softens walkway edges and spills gracefully over stone walls. The blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds, adding movement and life to the garden beyond their visual appeal.

Even when not in bloom, 'Waterperry Blue' maintains significant ornamental value through its attractive evergreen foliage. The small, glossy leaves present a rich, deep green during the growing season, but what distinguishes this cultivar is the burgundy to copper overtones that tinge the foliage edges. These burgundy tones intensify dramatically during cooler weather, becoming particularly pronounced in spring and fall, and transforming to deep maroon or purple hues throughout winter. This seasonal color shift extends the plant's ornamental interest across multiple seasons, ensuring it remains a compelling presence in the landscape year-round.

Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' maintains a compact growth habit, reaching only four to six inches in height while spreading twelve to eighteen inches wide. Individual plants grow at a medium rate and can be expected to live approximately ten years under favorable conditions. The spreading, mat-forming habit makes this cultivar particularly effective when planted in groups or masses, where it creates seamless drifts of color and texture. The plant's low profile and spreading nature also make it an excellent "spiller" component in container combinations, where it can cascade elegantly over pot edges.

This speedwell thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3a through 8b, demonstrating exceptional cold tolerance down to negative forty degrees Fahrenheit. It performs best in full sun to partial shade exposure, with optimal flowering occurring in sites receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, though it tolerates light shade gracefully. The cultivar adapts to average, medium-moisture soils as well as well-drained conditions, requiring only moderate watering once established. Critical to its success is proper drainage, as the plant cannot tolerate wet, waterlogged soils during dormancy and is susceptible to root rot in poorly drained locations. While it benefits from consistently moist conditions during active growth, 'Waterperry Blue' demonstrates admirable heat and drought tolerance once its root system has established, making it suitable for challenging sites and low-water gardens.

The plant shows no particular preference regarding soil type or pH, thriving in a range of soil compositions from sandy to loamy. It responds well to monthly fertilization during the growing season but does not require heavy feeding to maintain vigor. For best appearance and to encourage fresh growth and potential reblooming, the foliage can be cut back after the primary flowering period concludes in late spring. This rejuvenation also promotes denser growth and helps maintain the plant's tidy appearance throughout the season.

In landscape applications, Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' excels in numerous roles. It serves as an exceptional ground cover for small to medium-sized areas where its weed-suppressing density proves highly valuable. The cultivar shines in rock gardens and alpine plantings, where its low stature and spreading habit complement larger perennials and woody plants while softening hard edges. It makes an ideal edging plant along borders, pathways, and walkway margins, particularly where its tolerance for occasional foot traffic proves advantageous. The plant can be successfully incorporated between flagstones and pavers, where it softens hardscaping and withstands some pedestrian use. Its evergreen nature ensures year-round presence, avoiding the bare gaps that deciduous groundcovers create in winter.

For foundation plantings, border fronts, and underplanting beneath taller perennials or shrubs, this speedwell provides reliable performance without overwhelming companions. Its fine texture and relatively neutral color palette during summer allow it to blend harmoniously with numerous plant combinations while contributing its own subtle beauty. The cultivar works particularly well in cottage gardens, pollinator gardens, and wildlife-friendly landscapes where its nectar-rich flowers support beneficial insects. Container plantings benefit from its trailing habit and long blooming season, making it valuable in mixed combinations or as a standalone specimen in troughs and alpine containers.

Companion plantings might include spring bulbs that emerge through the speedwell's foliage, early-blooming perennials like Aubrieta or Phlox subulata that share similar cultural requirements, and taller plants such as hardy geraniums, dwarf ornamental grasses, or Sedum that create vertical interest without shading the speedwell excessively. The blue-lavender flowers coordinate beautifully with yellow-flowered companions like Coreopsis or Geum, creating complementary color harmonies.

This cultivar demonstrates remarkable pest and disease resistance, typically remaining trouble-free throughout the growing season. Deer and rabbits consistently avoid this plant, making it valuable in areas where browsing pressure eliminates other low-growing options. The plant's salt tolerance extends its usefulness to roadside plantings and coastal gardens where salt spray or road salt application limits plant choices. It thrives even in urban environments, showing high tolerance for pollution and the challenging conditions of inner-city gardens.

 For home gardeners, division in early spring or fall provides an easy method to increase stock or rejuvenate older plantings that may have developed bare centers. The plant requires very low maintenance once established, making it an excellent choice for gardeners seeking reliable performance with minimal intervention. Its combination of delicate beauty, seasonal color transformation, functional durability, and wildlife value establishes Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' as an indispensable component of contemporary landscape design.