Zone: 3 to 8

Soil: sand to loam and maybe clay

Light: Full sun to part sun

Bloom colour: Blue, pink, white, red

Bloom period: June to August

Height: Usually up to 3 feet

Moisture: Usually medium to moist

Attracts: A variety of bees and butterflies.

Notes: This genus has some species that are native here, but the ones on sale in nurseries are usually species from Europe and Asia. They are quite attractive plants for bees and butterflies and therefore desirable in a wildlife garden. It is unfortunate that both Veronica longifolia and Veronica spicata have become established in large parts of North America.

To avoid adding to the problem, you can buy a hybrid such as Sunny Border Blue which does not set seed. It blooms repeatedly if cut back over the summer season and is often covered in a variety of bees. When most of the flowers have reached the last 25% of their bloom, cut off all the large flowerheads and within ten days the plant will be back in bloom again.

If you are looking for a native plant that is similar, try planting Verbena stricta.