Veronica austriaca ssp. teucrium 'Kapitan'

'Kapitän' is an easily-grown, larger alpine with long spikes of blue flowers. But not just any blue - a bright, intense, royal blue. The flower spikes arise from a neat clump of light green foliage in early summer and last a few weeks.

It's not a difficult plant to please - any reasonable soil and a bit of sunshine during the day will make it happy. It's not a short, slow-growing alpine by any measure, but it's tidy and easy and beautiful. Ideal for a rockery, along path edges, in front of taller plants etc.