Speedwell 'Red Fox'
Veronica spicata 'Rotfuchs' · Plantaginaceae
Short, dense spikes of deep rosy-pink over a low mat of glossy leaves, in early and midsummer.
- Size
- 14 in tall, 14 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Late June to mid August
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around speedwell 'Red Fox'
The planner designed this bed around speedwell 'Red Fox' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why speedwell 'Red Fox' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Speedwell 'Red Fox' × 8, pink
- 2 Blue moor grass × 5, purple
- 3 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' × 10, pink
- 4 Little bluestem 'The Blues' × 5, tan
- 5 Showy goldenrod × 3, yellow
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Schubert's allium × 4, pink
- 8 Red spider lily × 5, red
Why this plant
- A classic partner for Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'. Both are on this plan. A pairing gardeners have proved outranks a general rule.
Why here
- In the middle. At 14 in it is the step between blue moor grass (10 in) in front and inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to little bluestem 'The Blues' (3 ft) and inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 8 plants in 2 groups (5 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for 9 weeks. From late June to mid August.
- Fills a gap. For six of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 32 of the 32 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 47% of the visual weight and the right half 53%. Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' is the plant there is most of: 10 of the 41.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where speedwell 'Red Fox' goes in a border
At 14 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The standard pink speedwell. The small spikes give a vertical accent at the very front, where few plants do. Deadhead it for a second flush.
- Pink spikes at the front
- Edging
- Containers
What to plant with speedwell 'Red Fox'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lamb's ear: its silver leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
- Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch': a low mound at the foot of its spires; low enough (8 in) to stand in front of it.
- Blue fescue: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
Questions about speedwell 'Red Fox'
Does speedwell 'Red Fox' need sun or shade?
Speedwell 'Red Fox' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does speedwell 'Red Fox' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does speedwell 'Red Fox' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late June to mid August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 3 | Late June to late August |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Late June to late August |
| Zone 5 | Late June to mid August |
| Zone 6 | Late June to mid August |
| Zone 7 | Mid June to early August |
| Zone 8 | Mid June to early August |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should speedwell 'Red Fox' be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 14 in (35 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 14 in (35 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many speedwell 'Red Fox' plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is speedwell 'Red Fox' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like speedwell 'Red Fox'?
Speedwell 'Red Fox' comes from Europe and Asia. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Nodding onion: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 4 in taller, 4 in narrower.
- Blanket flower 'Goblin': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid June to early October, red, not pink.
- Hairy beardtongue: the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers late May to late June.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat speedwell 'Red Fox'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What flowers after speedwell 'Red Fox'?
Speedwell 'Red Fox' is over by mid August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall.
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.
What does speedwell 'Red Fox' look like in winter?
Speedwell 'Red Fox' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
Is speedwell 'Red Fox' good for bees and butterflies?
Speedwell 'Red Fox' is visited by bees and butterflies.
More Veronica
- Gentian speedwell Veronica gentianoides
- Long-leaved speedwell Veronica longifolia
- Speedwell 'Georgia Blue' Veronica umbrosa 'Georgia Blue'
- Speedwell 'Royal Candles' Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'
- Speedwell 'Sunny Border Blue' Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
- Spike speedwell Veronica spicata
- Woolly speedwell Veronica incana
In these guides
- Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 14 in (35 cm) tall, 14 in (35 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late June to mid August; upright spires; pink, red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Comes from
- Europe and Asia
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.