Red Fox speedwell

Sun

Full sun gives the strongest stems and best flowering; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate some drought but flower better with moderate moisture.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy soil or gravelly soil; tolerates a range of pH. Avoid heavy soil that stays wet in winter.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Early to midsummer, with dense spikes of deep rosy-pink flowers; removing spent spikes can encourage a smaller later flush.

Foliage

Narrow, green, toothed leaves, mostly forming a low mound beneath the flower stems.

Growth

Moderate; usually forms a useful flowering clump within two growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.32 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water at soil level during the first growing season, allowing the surface to dry slightly between waterings.
• Add a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages soft, floppy growth.
• Keep mulch away from the crown, especially where winters are wet.
• Allow air to circulate between plants rather than crowding them.
• Divide congested clumps in spring every three to four years if flowering declines.

Pruning. Cut faded flower spikes back to a healthy pair of leaves to encourage further flowering. Remove dead stems to just above the crown in late winter or early spring, before new growth develops.

Late winter

Remove dead stems and clear wet debris from around the crown.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps in well-drained soil and water them in thoroughly.

Mid-spring

Apply a thin layer of compost if the soil is poor.

Early summer

Water during extended dry spells and check young shoots for aphids.

Midsummer

Remove fading flower spikes to encourage a smaller repeat display.

Autumn

Check drainage and keep fallen leaves from forming a wet mat over the crown.

• Repeat small groups along a sunny border edge for a rhythm of upright pink spikes.
• Pair with catmint or hardy geraniums so their softer mounds contrast with the flower spikes.
• Plant among low ornamental grasses in a small-scale perennial border.
• Use in a sunny gravel garden where the soil drains freely but does not remain extremely dry.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, New perennial (prairie), Pollinator garden, Dry gravel garden and Small-space.

Plant it with: Catmint, Hardy geranium, Yarrow, Purple coneflower, Lamb's ears and Prairie dropseed.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other visiting insects, including butterflies. It is not a native plant in the United States, Canada or Australia.

• Crown or root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised position; replace plants with badly rotted crowns.
• Powdery mildew: allow more space between plants, water at soil level and remove badly affected foliage.
• Aphids on tender shoots: wash them off with water and encourage natural predators rather than using broad-spectrum insecticides.
• Slugs and snails eating emerging shoots: inspect during damp evenings, remove pests and use an approved iron-phosphate bait if needed.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is generally recognised as poisonous, but it is not a food plant, and eating plant material can still cause digestive upset.

• Longleaf speedwell (Veronica longifolia)

  Usually taller, with longer leaves along the stems, often arranged in whorls, and a more substantial branching flower display.

• Germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys)

  Has broader, rounded-toothed leaves and loose clusters of individual blue flowers rather than dense, upright pink spikes.

The cultivar name 'Rotfuchs' is German for 'red fox', while spicata means 'bearing spikes', referring to the flower clusters.

Propagation. Divide healthy clumps in spring or take basal cuttings from fresh spring shoots. Seed-grown plants may differ from 'Rotfuchs'; use vegetative propagation to retain the cultivar's colour and habit.

Accepted botanical name

Veronica spicata

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland and France.

Measured

Average height 23 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.