Veronica plant named ‘High Five’

#Botanical designation: Veronica hybrida.

#Cultivar denomination: ‘High Five’.

#The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘High Five’.

#The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Veronica.

#The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘High Five’ grown in a container.

#The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower raceme of ‘High Five’.

#Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the late spring and summer in an outdoor nursery in Lisse, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures aranged from 10 to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4 to 15° C. Plants were about two years old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Botanical classification: Veronica hybrida cultivar High Five. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata selection, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Veronica spicata×Veronica longifolia selection, not patented. Propagation: Type.—By cuttings. Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About one month during the spring. Root description.—Thick; freely branching. Plant description: Form.—Perennial. Upright, compact and sturdy plant habit; narrow inverted triangle. Freely basal branching with about 17 flowering stems per plant; dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit. Numerous flowers arranged on crowded terminal racemes. Plant height.—About 49 cm. Plant width.—About 30.5 cm. Lateral stem description.—Length (excluding inflorescence): About 22.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 4.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A. Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length: About 7.3 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Between, but slightly darker than 137A and 143A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 138A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Between 137A and 139A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C to 138A. Venation, upper surface: Similar to lamina. Venation, lower surface: 144B. Petiole length: About 1.6 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole color: Between 143B and 144B. Flower description: Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers closely spaced on upright terminal racemes; flowers face mostly outward. Freely flowering habit, about 400 flowers per raceme. Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from July to late September in The Netherlands. Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about one week on the plant. Flowers not persistent. Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: N88A. Inflorescence size.—Length: About 26.9 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 cm. Flowers.—Diameter: About 8 mm. Depth (height): About 1 cm. Petals.—Arrangement: Campanulate; four petals fused towards the base. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 93B to 93C. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 93B. Sepals.—Arrangement: Four sepals fused towards the base; lower two sepals nearly twice as long as upper two sepals. Length: Upper sepals: About 3 mm. Lower sepals: About 5.5 mm. Width: Upper sepals: About 1 mm. Lower sepals: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 137A. Color, lower surface: 137A to 137B. Peduncles.—Length: About 26.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Aspect: Erect to 20° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 143B. Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm. Aspect: About 50° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 143B. Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two. Filament length: About 9 mm. Filament color: 93B to 93C. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: N77C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 2C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Clavate, flattened. Stigma color: 93B. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: 93C. Ovary color: 143C. Fruit: Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144B. Seed: Quantity per fruit: About 12. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: N199C to N199D. Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica. High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Veronica have been observed to tolerate temperatures up to 30° C. Hardiness: Plants of the new Veronica have been observed to be hardy to USDA Zone 4.