Other Names: Spike Speedwell, Ironweed

Ornamental Features:

Giles van Hees Speedwell features beautiful spikes of pink flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It's narrow leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Giles van Hees Speedwell is a dense herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This perennial will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Disease

Giles van Hees Speedwell is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Container Planting
• Border Edging

Plant Characteristics:

Giles van Hees Speedwell will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This plant can be propagated by division.

This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.