PEREN N I AL FOCUS
BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb Our plant of the month’s genus name comes from the genus name Veronica (Christian legend claims Saint Veronica gave her veil to Christ to wipe his forehead while he was carrying the cross to Calvary) and astrum meaning star, or incomplete resemblance.
VERONICASTRUM VIRGINICUM CULVER’S ROOT
A very special perennial, Veronicastrum virginicum is one of the architectural gems of the garden. It stands as straight and tall (5-6 feet) as a warrior, yet retains the delicacy of a ballerina en pointe. Like many tall perennials, the diameter is usually only half the height. Thriving in sun with at least moderate moisture, able to survive in partial shade but then needing staking, it starts blooming in mid-July and continues into late August, keeping its stature, even after the petals fade, until a killing frost arrives in late fall. Some taxonomists prefer to classify this plant as a species of Veronica, thus Veronica virginica. Regardless of its name, it is a special plant for the back of the perennial border, as an intermediate plant between short and tall shrubs, in the sunny wet garden, and as a cutting flower.
This native of the Eastern United States, hardy from at least zone 4, perhaps 3, to zone 8, has long, very toothed leaves which are arranged in whorls of five around the unbranched stems. This arrangement means that the plant has a strong, layered, horizontal look. The dense white wands, frequently in groups of three, stand straight up from the stem. After continued on page 10
8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association