Distinctive features of the veronica plant, how to plant and care, do-it-yourself reproduction, difficulties in growing, notes for florists, species.
Veronica is a flowering plant that belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. In the name of this representative of the flora, the emphasis is on the letter "o". This genus is the largest in the family, as there are up to 500 species in it, but other data mention a figure of 300 units. A little earlier, botanists included this genus in the family Veronicaceae or Scrophulariaceae.
Herbaceous species of Veronica mainly grow in different parts of the planet, where there is mainly a temperate and cold climate, up to the Arctic. Shrubs are found on the islands of New Zealand, Australia and regions of South America.
| Family name | Plantains |
| Life cycle | Perennial, 1-2 years old |
| Growth features | Herbs or shrubs |
| Reproduction | Dividing a bush, sowing seeds or grafting |
| Landing period in open ground | Planting of cuttings is carried out in August |
| Disembarkation scheme | Depends on the variety |
| Substrate | Depends on the species, but garden soil will work. |
| Illumination | Partial shade or open place with bright sun |
| Moisture indicators | Drought tolerant, but some species require abundant watering |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.02–1.5 m |
| Color of flowers | Blue, cyan, snow white, pink, purple |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Spikelet, brush, umbrella or whisk |
| Flowering time | May-August |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Flowerbeds, curbs, rocky hills, can be a ground cover |
| USDA zone | 3–6 |
The plant got its scientific name in the middle of the 16th century (in 1542), in honor of the Christian saint - Veronica. It was given by the scientist from Germany Leonart Fuchs (1501-1566), who is considered the "father of botany", and also was engaged in medicine at that time. The first mentions can be found in very ancient sources. The term "vera unica", which translates as "real medicine" is used by the authors of Ancient Greece and Rome, since there is also a medical application. But in the Slavic lands, you can hear other names - snake grass or snake. The shape of its flowers is very similar to this reptile, and because of the color of the petals in the flowers, the plant is called "cyanosis".
Basically, those representatives of Veronica that are found in the Caucasus are perennials, but they can have a one-year or two-year life cycle. Their growth form is herbaceous, but occasionally they take the form of a half-shrub.
The rhizome of the plant is branched or short, with a large number of thin roots. But it is always thin, elongated and takes on creeping outlines. One or more stems originate from the rhizome. If the species is annual, then its roots are threadlike and delicate. In perennials, the rhizome allows you to survive the winter temperature drop, since its form is more solid.
Veronica's shoots grow straight or outstretched. They can be either single or branched. Their height varies from 2 cm to 1.5 m. On the surface there is a pubescence of soft simple hairs, stalked glands, sometimes the stem is bare. Shoots are always glandular-pubescent near the inflorescence. There are species in which the shoots are creeping, can take root in the nodes or release roots in their lower part. The plexus of fibers at the stems is so large that it can withstand when a person or an animal walks along them.
Veronica leaves very much like nettles, only they do not cause burns. The shape of the leaf plate is oval, the edge is carved, there are hairs on the surface. The foliage is mostly bright green, although there are specimens with a gray tint. Leaves grow on stems opposite or in the next order, occasionally collected in whorls. The length of cuttings in different species is very different, it can vary in the range of 1-13 cm.
Veronica flowers have a rich blue color, but garden forms are distinguished by snow-white, blue, lilac and purple petals. The inflorescence has the shape of a spikelet, brush, umbrella or panicle, and the buds are very dense in it. The size of the flowers is small, their outlines resemble a bell with a carved edge. The structure of the flower of the snake grass is common: a tube is formed from the fused lower petals, the upper ones remain free. Inside the corolla there is a pair of stamens and an elongated pistil. Due to the fact that the buds begin to bloom from the bottom to the top of the inflorescence, the flowering process seems to be quite lengthy. When the lower flowers are replaced by seed-filled capsules, the buds still bloom at the top.
The flowering process in different species occurs at different times. If you plant such plants in the garden, then you can admire the flowering from spring days until autumn. Basically, you can use snake grass in different ways - to decorate flower beds and borders, stone hills and as a ground cover (if the shoots are lodging).
Outdoor care for the veronica herb
- Accommodation. The plant feels great in an open area in direct sunlight or in partial shade.
- Priming. Veronica is unpretentious and ordinary garden soil with a mixture of river sand or medium-sized crushed stone (expanded clay) may be suitable for her. Mountain species take root on rocky soil, while other species tolerate a depleted substrate. But almost all types require loose soils with good drainage properties, acidity indicators are low.
- Landing. The rules for planting seedlings of Veronica directly depend on its variety. So, for small plants, a distance of 30 cm between the bushes is suitable. If the height is average, you need to leave up to 40 cm between them. Bushes of tall varieties are recommended to be planted at a distance of up to half a meter.
- Watering. Although the plant tolerates drought, this indicator directly depends on the variety of Veronica. Only the species Veronica beccabunga and Veronica spicata cannot survive without water, since in nature the first even grows in it. The rest, with varying degrees of probability, may not require abundant and frequent watering. Mountain views feel the easiest in dry weather.
- Fertilizers. When caring for Veronica, fertilizing is necessary only if the plant is planted in very poor soil. Then, occasionally (not every year), you can add a universal complex of drugs, like Kemira Universal.
- General advice on care. Since the plant can winter well in our regions, and it is not afraid of frosts up to 29 degrees, the bush will not need shelter for the bruises. But there are species (Veronica fruticans and woody), which are covered with spunbond or spruce branches for the winter months. Before the arrival of winter, you can mulch the root system with peat or compost.
If the species is tall (for example, Veronica spikelet, Sakhalin or Armenian), then it is required to tie the stems so that the bush does not fall apart. If the stems are undersized, cut off the discolored inflorescences so that new ones form in their place.
How to carry out independent reproduction of Veronica?
To get new bushes of cyanosis, you can sow seed, divide an overgrown bush, or cut blanks for grafting.
The first method is the simplest and guarantees flowering in the first year after planting. It is necessary to dig up the bush when Veronica is not blooming, but you can also plant the planting in the summer months. After the bush is dug out, it is divided with a shovel or sharp garden tool. When the weather is hot and dry, all inflorescences can be cut off. After that, the delenki are immediately planted in a prepared place and covered with cut plastic bottles (the lids are removed) or glass jars. In this state, Veronica's delenki spend up to 14-15 days. Rooting in a peat-sandy substrate is better.
When grafting of snake grass is carried out, the time is selected in July or August. The length of the blanks should be 10 cm. The tops and inflorescences are cut off on such a cutting. Cuttings are planted in containers with peat-sandy soil. Before planting, you can hold them for a couple of hours in a solution to stimulate root formation. A pot of Veronica cuttings is covered with a plastic bottle with a cut bottom or wrapped in a plastic bag to create greenhouse conditions. Can be planted directly into open ground using the same soil mixture. Then, before winter, the cuttings will have time to take root.
The seed method is the most troublesome. Seeds are sown in open ground before winter so that they undergo natural stratification. With spring sowing, it will have to be carried out independently for a month before sowing at a temperature of about 5 degrees. The embedding of seeds should be no deeper than 2 cm. After the seedlings appear, it is recommended to thin them out so that there is 20-50 cm between the Veronica plants (the distance depends on the species). You can grow seedlings:
- At the end of spring, stratification is carried out, planting is performed in March.
- It is necessary to sow in a nutritious soil poured into containers.
- Leave 5 cm between the seeds, sprinkle with a thin layer of soil and water.
- Cover with polyethylene and wait for sprouts to appear.
- When the seedlings are visible, they are transferred to a bright place and the shelter is removed.
- Seedlings need regular watering, it is important not to allow the substrate to dry out.
- When unfolding 8-10 leaves on a seedling, it can be transplanted into open ground.
- Before planting for 14–20 days, the seedlings of Veronica should be hardened and accustomed to the sun's rays. So containers with seedlings are put out on the street first for 10-15 minutes, bringing this time gradually to a whole day.
Diseases and pests when caring for Veronica in the garden
Because of its natural endurance, cyanosis is rarely affected by diseases. But if the soil is constantly in a waterlogged state, the plant is planted in the shade, then Veronica is affected by downy mildew - all the foliage is covered with a grayish bloom. It is recommended to carry out treatment with fungicidal preparations from which the solution is prepared. You can use products like Fitosporin, Alirin-B or Gamair.
Since infectious diseases are practically not treated, then when Veronica is affected by ring spotting, the bush is burned. At the same time, the soil is treated with nematicidal preparations, since this disease is spread by nematodes. Main Symptoms: The foliage is yellow and curled.
Caterpillars are pests of snake grass, which spoil leaves and young shoots. To protect the plantings, it is recommended to warm up the soil, weed on time and break through the plants during watering. If scoops, long-wattled moths or moths appear, then in this case, an insecticide treatment should be performed, for example, Aktellik or Fitoverm.
Notes for flower growers about Veronica
All types of snake grass serve as honey plants, especially Veronica longifolia. If in nature it grows in continuous thickets, then they can give more than 100 kg of honey per hectare.
From ancient times they knew about the medicinal features of Veronica, especially Veronica officinalis. Decoctions and tinctures are made from this herb, which are recommended to be taken during colds. The formulations can also gargle, relieve irritation of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. Veronica-based products help in stimulating appetite and the secretion of the glands responsible for digestion. They have a positive effect on all metabolic processes in the body.
If there is skin irritation caused by inflammation, diaper rash, felon or bleeding, wounds or ulcers that do not heal, then it is recommended to use drugs based on Veronica longifolia. Such funds help relieve headaches and eliminate gastrointestinal disorders.
Types of Veronica
Veronica longifolia (Veronica longifolia)
It prefers to grow in forests around the planet with temperate and cold climates. It has an elongated and creeping rhizome. The height of the stems is 40–120 cm. They grow straight, strong, can be smooth, or grooves are present on the surface. The stems are simple, and in the upper part they are branched, naked or with short hairs. The leaves are placed opposite or in whorls of 3-4. Foliage shape - from oblong to linear-lanceolate. The length is 3–15 cm and the width is about 1–4 cm. The leaves are attached with petioles to the stem.
The inflorescence in the form of a dense brush is located at the top of the stem. Its size is about 25 cm in length. It is often solitary, but sometimes there are several short brushes growing on the sides. There are up to 450 buds per plant. The corolla is blue or bluish purple. Its length is 6 cm. The flowering process is extended for all summer months.
The ripening capsule is 3-4 cm long. Its shape is obovate or rounded-ovate. Its surface is bare, there is a small notch at the top. Seeds of oval outlines are 0.75 mm long and 0.5 m wide.
Veronica officinalis (Veronica officinalis)
… It is found in light forests, can grow in meadows, among bushes or in the mountains. The territory of distribution falls on the Azores and Madeira, all European lands, Iran and the Caucasus, Turkey. The stems of this herbaceous perennial reach a height of 15–30 cm. They can form sods, in which the branches grow ascending. The plant has a thin winding creeping rhizome and small shoots. The creeping stem with a rounded shape has uniform pubescence on the surface. The apex is branched, there is the possibility of rooting in the nodes.
The leaves grow oppositely, their surface is rough, the shape is oblong-obovate or in the form of an ellipse. The length of the leaves varies within 1.5–4 cm with a width of about 1–2 cm. The leaf blade tapers into a wide, shortened petiole. The foliage is jagged or serrated-serrate along the edge. Both sides of it have a pubescence of simple hairs.
Thick peduncles coming from the lateral leaf sinuses are crowned with single inflorescences, often lateral. The shape of the inflorescences is racemose. The corolla is blue or lavender; darker veins may be present. Occasionally, the shade can be whitish with lilac veins. Its length is 6–7 cm. The flowering process takes place all summer long.
From July to October, fruits begin to ripen, which are a box with multiple seeds. It does not exceed 4–5 mm in length. Its shape is flattened, back-triangular.
Veronica spicata (Veronica spicata)
The distribution of the plant is quite wide: Europe, Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, regions of the Mediterranean. Shoot height does not exceed 40 cm. The number of stems is small. The leaf plates are oval-oblong, while the upper ones are devoid of petioles, and the lower ones have them. The apical inflorescences are dense, racemose. Their length is 10-12 cm. The color of flowers is pink, blue, snow-white or purple. The buds open from the beginning of summer, and the flowering is stretched out for 40 days.
Video about growing Veronica:
