Chinese Trailing Veronicastrum. Throw away any visions you have of our native American Veronicastrums because this Chinese species has a completely different appearance. It has long tapering shiny leaves on arching stems which may "peg" down as it grows. During much of the growing season, it puts up 3-4" pale lavender spikes of small flowers on axillary inflorescences along its prostrate stems. Many plant it just for its sprawling growth habit and not its flowers. It performs best in filtered sun with adequate moisture on a well drained soil. Here in zone 8, many times it will be completely evergreen during the winter with just slight burning to its leaves. (After searching Flora of China, a twenty volume set on plants of China, I am fairly confident that this is the correct identification of this selection.)
Zones 7-9
