Royal Candles Spiked Speedwell (Veronica spicata 'Glory' ROYAL CANDLES)
ver-ON-ih-kah spih-KAY-tah 'Glory' ROYAL CANDLES

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming in the Plantaginaceae Family
A classic deep-violet speedwell discovered as a chance garden seedling in England, with a long Chicago-trial-confirmed bloom season.
Veronica spicata 'Glory' (Royal Candles, US Plant Patent 18,932) was found by Heather Philpott as a chance seedling in her own garden in Detling, Kent, England in 1987, among other Veronica spicata cultivars - not a deliberate cross. It forms an upright, clump-forming habit blooming deep violet from mid-June to early September, with sporadic later flowers, per Chicago Botanic Garden's own multi-year trial.

Pros

  • Long, Chicago-trial-confirmed bloom season (mid-June to early September)
  • Deer and rabbit resistant; attracts pollinators and butterflies

Cons

  • Needs well-drained soil - Chicago Botanic Garden's own trial recorded winter injury in 2 of 4 evaluation years, attributed mainly to wet or poorly-drained sites rather than cold
  • A widely-repeated claim that this cultivar is sterile/non-seeding could NOT be confirmed by any patent, retailer, or trial source checked - treat as unverified folklore, not a documented fact
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 16 - 18 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Full Sun, Medium, Medium, Most Popular, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Rabbit Resistant Blue or Purple Flowering Perennials, Extended Bloom Perennials, Partial Sun Perennials
Bloom Period Mid-June to Early September, with Sporadic Later Flowers
Flower Color Deep Violet
Foliage Color
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 04/13 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!