Veronica x cantiana Kentish Pink - Speedwell

Veronica x cantiana 'Kentish Pink' is an excellent ground cover veronica, with dense vegetation, very effective in preventing weeds. The ornamental foliage is dark green, glossy and evergreen all year round, even in cold climates. The plant is covered in spring with a multitude of soft pink flower spikes. This vigorous, small creeping veronica grows rapidly. It can be planted in full sun or light shade, in rockeries and borders.

Veronica x cantiana is a perennial plant with rooting stems from the Scrophulariaceae family. It is a cross between Veronica officinalis and Veronica prostrata. The former, quite common throughout Western Europe, except for Mediterranean regions, is a perennial plant that thrives in dry soils, preferably acidic. It grows in woods, heathlands, and meadows. The latter is native to Central and Southern Europe where it grows in meadows and clearings, among bushes, as well as on grassy slopes. Veronica x cantiana 'Kentish Pink' grows quite rapidly, forming numerous short branches, prostrate on the ground. The height of the foliage does not exceed 15 cm. Each stem produces roots at the nodes, allowing the plant to cover the ground on a minimum surface of 50 cm in diameter, and even more over time. The stem is solid and covered with small white hairs. The fairly dark green, evergreen foliage is composed of small lanceolate, opposite, entire, fleshy, and glossy leaves, toothed at the edges. In May-June, the plant produces numerous light pink spike inflorescences just above the foliage.

Veronica x cantiana 'Kentish Pink' tolerates drought fairly well, provided it receives regular watering during the first dry summers. It can be planted in rockeries, slopes, flower beds, borders, or as a foreground in flower beds. It is very robust and covers the ground everywhere, even in unfavourable conditions. In containers and hanging baskets, it can be planted at the base of taller and more upright perennials, forming a trailing carpet on the edges of the pot. Along a pathway, it can be planted en masse. In poor soil, it can be associated with thymes, chamomiles, Antennaria dioica 'Rubra', or Pulsatillas, for example.