Digger's Speedwell

Digger's Speedwell (Veronica perfoliata) is an Australian native perennial with grey blue leaves that clasp the stem in pairs, which gives it presence even out of flower. It forms a soft mound about 600mm high and 800mm across, then throws arching spikes of blue purple flowers through late spring and summer. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and happy in poor soil, it earns its place in the hard, dry parts of a garden.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that works all year. The blue grey leaves wrap the stems in neat pairs and hold their colour between flowering seasons.
• A long blue flowering run. Sprays of small blue and purple flowers arch out from the mound for months, in a colour few natives offer.
• Bees and butterflies find it. The open sprays are easy for small native pollinators to work, which suits a habitat or cottage bed.
• It handles poor, dry ground. Frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, and it flowers better in lean soil than in a rich bed.

Where it works best

Rockeries and dry banks. The arching habit spills over rock and retaining walls, and the sharp drainage in those positions is exactly what it wants.

Borders and mass planting. Plant 500mm apart for a continuous drift. At that spacing the mounds meet within a season without crowding into leggy growth.

Pots and small gardens. A pot 400mm or wider suits it, and the flowering stems arch over the rim. Use a free draining native mix and a sunny position.

Growing Digger's Speedwell in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer blooms. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and frost is no problem. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are harder on it, where still air encourages fungal spotting.

Soil. Free draining is the priority. Sandy, gravelly and rocky soils are ideal, and it copes with genuinely poor ground. On clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse sand or gravel through the bed.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser once in early spring. Rich feeding produces soft leafy growth and fewer flowers.

Pruning. Shear the whole plant back by about a third once flowering finishes. This keeps the mound tight, stops the centre opening up, and often brings a second lighter flush before winter.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: tube stock, which currently runs on backorder, and established plants in 250mm pots in packs of three. Tubes are the economical way to fill a bank or a long border, taking a season to reach flowering size. The 250mm plants are already mounded and usually flower in their first season.

Some soft new growth may bend in transit and straightens within a fortnight. Plant into free draining soil, water in well, and expect new growth within four to six weeks in the warmer months. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read about plants that thrive in poor soil.
• Browse the rockery plant range.
• See more plants for bees and butterflies.
• Consider the white flowered form for a cooler planting scheme.

Common questions

Is this the same plant as Parahebe perfoliata?

Yes. It is still widely sold under the older name Parahebe perfoliata, but the accepted botanical name is now Veronica perfoliata. The plant is identical.

How far apart should I plant it?

Five hundred millimetres apart for mass planting or a border drift. Closer planting shades the lower stems and pushes the mounds upward instead of outward.

Why has mine gone leggy and stopped flowering?

Usually too much shade, too much water, or no annual trim. Shear it back by a third after flowering, cut the watering right down, and move it into full sun if you can.