Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Broadleaf Speedwell

Brand:  Jelitto

Description:

Tiny spikes of dainty blue flowers in late spring, adorn a low mound of linear, dark green foliage on this resilient plant, which can take some light foot traffic; a superior groundcover selection, ideal in rock and alpine gardens

Ornamental Features

Little Blues Gentian Speedwell has masses of beautiful spikes of sky blue flowers with lavender overtones and white eyes rising above the foliage in late spring, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its glossy narrow leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Little Blues Gentian Speedwell is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, 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. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Little Blues Gentian Speedwell is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Little Blues Gentian Speedwell will grow to be only 3 inches tall at maturity extending to 6 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. 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 is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Little Blues Gentian Speedwell is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.