Wall speedwell is a tiny, hairy weed of lawns, gardens, and roadsides with deep blue flowers only about 1/8 inch across. A native of Europe, it is now across much of the United States. It is also called corn speedwell.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A winter or spring annual, usually 2–8 in (5–20 cm) tall in the US, though it can reach about 1 ft (30 cm). Stems are hairy and branch near the base.
- Leaves
- Lower leaves are oval, toothed, and opposite; upper leaves are narrow, alternate, and nearly stalkless.
- Flowers
- Single tiny blue-violet flowers with four petals sit almost stalkless in the upper leaf axils. Each flower lasts only briefly, and the flowers can pollinate themselves.
- Flowering time
- Mid-spring to midsummer; March to June in Louisiana and East Texas.
- Fruit
- A flat, heart-shaped seed capsule about 1/8 in (3 mm) long, with a fringed edge.
Look-alikes
Persian speedwellVeronica persica
Persian speedwell sprawls along the ground and has larger sky-blue flowers (about 5/16 in, 8 mm) on long, slender stalks. Wall speedwell stands upright, with much smaller, nearly stalkless flowers.
Why they get mixed upBoth are weedy European speedwells that bloom in lawns and gardens in spring.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Lawns
- Gardens
- Fields
- Roadsides
- Waste ground
- Range
- Native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It arrived in North America by accident and has been recorded in nearly every US state; it is common in Illinois, for example.
- Preferred conditions
- Full sun, dry to moderately moist poor soil, and disturbed ground with little competition.
- Flowering
Flowers Mar–Jun
Flowers Mar–Jun
Growing it
- Propagation
- Reseeds itself readily and sometimes forms colonies.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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