Zone: 3 to 9
Soil: Sand to clay
Light: Full sun to part sun
Bloom colour: White
Bloom period: Early to late summer
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Moisture: medium to wet
Attracts: Bees and butterflies
Notes: Veronicastrum is a an excellent plant to attract bees in late July and early August. The plant is in flower at a time when there are many pollinators looking for nectar and there will hoards of bees around the flowerheads. The plant is native to the Eastern half of North America and it can be found in meadows with a high moisture content.
It does well in a loam soil because it prefers a soil with reasonable drainage so a heavy clay soil is not suitable. However, you must not allow the soil to dry out for more than a couple of days. It will also grow well in sandy soil if you happen to have a regular watering regime.
Each of the flowerheads has many individual flowers in spikes. The flowerheads grow upwards together to form a distinctive mass of white flowers.
It is a tall plant that would do well at the back of the border. It is uncommon to see this plant in gardens yet it makes an excellent specimen plant. Be prepared to stake the plant as it grows taller. Lavender varieties of this plant that are available in regular nurseries have probably been bred from exotic species, so stick to native sources for this plant. This plant has one of the highest bee densities in my garden. |
