Herbaceous Plants

Veronica grandis Fisch. ex Spreng.

Fully hardy herbaceous perennial with erect, hairy stems, opposite, lance-shaped, deeply toothed leaves, to 7.5cm long, and long spikes of white flowers.  To 60cm.  [RHSD, Hortus].

Veronica nivea Hook.f.

A dwarf, procumbent veronica with stout, leafy stems and white flowers.

The identity of Macarthurs ‘Veronica sp. (New Zealand)’ is uncertain but is probably either Veronica nivea Hook.f., described here, or Veronica bidwillii Hook. which see.

Veronica orientalis Wender.

Fully hardy, woody perennial with toothed, usually lance-shaped leaves, and one-sided axillary racemes of pink or blue flowers in summer.   [RHSD, Hortus].

Veronica spicata L.

Fully hardy, mat-forming perennial with erect flower spikes with dense, pyramidal, terminal racemes of star-shaped bright blue flowers from early to late summer.  Cultivars with white, pink and pale-blue flowers are also available.  To 60cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].  Veronica hybrida is now considered a form of Veronica spicata and is treated as such, Veronica spicata L. var. hybrida, in the Hortus.

Veronica spicata L. var. hybrida

Perennial herb with erect hairy stems, shallowly toothed, lance-shaped leaves and densely-flowered, terminal spikes of blue flowers.  To 60cm.  [RHSD].  This plant is not a hybrid and is now considered to be a form of Veronica spicata L. which see.  

Veronica spuria L.

Fully hardy, erect perennial with lance-shaped, opposite leaves in whorls of 3-4, and lax terminal panicles of blue flowers in early summer.  To 90cm.  [RHSD, Hortus].

Vigna caracalla (L.) Verdc.

Frost-tender, fast growing, evergreen, twining perennial climber with 3-palmate leaves and erect axillary racemes, to 30cm, of coiled, snail-like, pink, white or yellow flowers in summer to winter, followed by green bean-shaped fruit.  In parts of Europe and Africa the beans are eaten as a substitute for the kidney bean.  To 8m  [RHSE, Hortus].

Viola odorata L.

Fully-hardy rhizomatous, semi-evergreen perennial with sweetly scented white or blue flowers in late winter and early spring.  Self-seeds readily.  Excellent for a wild garden.  There are numerous garden cultivars.  To 20cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Viola odorata L. var. alba

See Viola odorata L.  White flowered forms occur naturally in the wild.

Viola odorata L. var. pallido-plena Sw.

A very sweet scented violet.  Don describes Viola odorata pallido-plena Sw., as double and pale blue: ‘This variety is commonly called Neapolitan Violet in gardens.’

Viola tricolor L.

Fully-hardy annual, biennial or short-lived evergreen perennial with a succession of flowers in shades of purple, lavender-blue, white or yellow, and many combinations of these, from late winter to spring.  The flowers usually have dark purple upper petals and lighter coloured lower petals.  Self-seeds very readily.  To 15cm or more.  The common garden pansies of today are recognised as complex hybrids of, mainly, Viola tricolor, V. lutea and V. cornuta.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Xerochrysum bracteatum (Vent.) Tzvelev. var. album grandiflorum

Perrenial, often grown as an annual, with solitary flower heads in a range of colours, white, yellow, orange or red.  Album has white flowers.  To 90cm.  [RHSD, Hortus].  Grandiflorum is probably, as the name suggests, a form with larger flowers.

Xerochrysum bracteatum (Vent.) Tzvelev. var. monstrosum

See Xerochrysum bracteatum (Vent.) Tzvelev. var. album grandiflorum.  Monstrosum has pale yellow or pink double flowers.  [RHSD, Hortus].

Zinnia elegans Jacq.

Frost tender, upright, bushy annual with lightly hairy, lance-shaped leaves and daisy-like, broad-petalled purple flower heads in summer.  Many colour forms are available.  Most garden forms are derived from Zinnia elegans and Z. haageana Reg.  To 75cm, taller in some varieties.  [RHSE, Hortus].