Blue water-speedwell is a wetland plant that grows in shallow water along streams and ponds, sending up spikes of small pale blue flowers. It's found across much of the US, though it's unclear whether it's native here or came from Eurasia. It's often just called water speedwell.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An upright, mostly hairless plant with hollow stems, usually 1–3 ft (30–100 cm) tall.
- Leaves
- Opposite, oval to lance-shaped leaves; the upper ones have no stalk and clasp the stem. Edges are smooth or finely toothed.
- Flowers
- Long spikes of many small flowers, each about ¼ in (5–8 mm) across, pale blue to violet with darker veins.
Look-alikes
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Streambanks
- Pond and lake shores
- Swamps and wet ditches
- Range
- Native across the Old World, from southern Africa through Europe and Asia. In the US it grows throughout the lower 48 states; some botanists treat it as native there, others as not native to North America.
- Preferred conditions
- A wetland plant that often stands in shallow water or grows in mud along shores, seeps, and ditches.
Growing it
- Propagation
- Spreads mainly by its tiny seeds.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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