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Common Speedwell

Common Speedwell

Veronica officinalis

Identify the Common Speedwell from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.

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How common: Very common

Common Speedwell is a low, creeping perennial with soft, hairy stems and paired oval leaves. In early to late summer it carries short, upright spikes of small pale blue to lilac flowers. It thrives in dry, open places and light woodland. Widespread in Europe and introduced in North America.

Did you know?

  • In France it was once brewed as a tea substitute called “Europe’s tea”.
  • Its low shoots can stay green through winter close to the ground.

About the species

Identification

Forms low mats with creeping stems; tips often rise to 10–30 cm. Stems and leaves are softly hairy. Leaves grow in pairs on short stalks; they are oval to narrow oval, tapering at the base, with fine teeth. From the upper leaves rise short, upright flower clusters 3–6 cm long, often two side by side. Each flower is about 8 mm across, pale blue to lilac with four petals. Later it makes small, flat, hairy seed pods. Compared with taller, bright-blue speedwells, this species is paler, tighter-flowered and more creeping. Flowers in Finland from June to August.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

rock

Flowering

Jun–Aug

About the habitat

Dry, open or lightly shaded places such as rocky woodland edges, dry deciduous woods, clearings, grazed woods, dry meadows and heaths. Common throughout Finland except Lapland.

Sources

Photo: Sean Hartnett, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5938480157

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Koululaisille: talvivihreät kasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39608

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39608

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39608

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohtot%C3%A4dyke

See also