Persian Speedwell is a nonnative annual that grows in lawns, gardens, and disturbed ground in many parts of the United States. Its small blue flowers have white centers and bloom during cool spring weather. It is also called birdseye speedwell.
Appearance
Growth form
It is usually a . Hairy stems trail along the ground and turn upward at the tips, reaching as much as 2 ft (60 cm).
Leaves
Lower leaves grow in opposite pairs, while leaves on flowering stems alternate. The oval leaves are hairy and have shallow teeth.
Flowers
Each blue flower grows alone from a leaf joint on a slender stalk. The flower is about 0.28–0.47 in (7–12 mm) wide, with darker lines, a white center, and four spreading lobes.
Flowering time
In California it flowers mainly from February through May, then often fades from turf during hot summer weather.
Fruit
The hairy, heart-shaped capsule has two lobes that spread apart in a broad V.
Persian Speedwell usually has larger blue flowers on long stalks. Gray Field Speedwell has smaller flowers, so a close photo of the flowers helps separate them.
Why they get mixed up · Both are low, hairy annual speedwells with single blue flowers at the leaf joints.
Persian Speedwell has stalked upper leaves and noticeably hairy leaves. Thymeleaf Speedwell has upper leaves without stalks and mostly hairless leaves.
Why they get mixed up · Both are small speedwells that can grow in lawns.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
lawns
gardens
crop fields
roadsides
Range
It is nonnative in North America and is documented across New England and widely in California. In the United States, it is also commonly treated as a lawn and field weed.
Preferred conditions
It favors moist, fertile disturbed soil in full sun to partial shade.
Flowering
Flowers Feb–May
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Flowers
Flowers Feb–May
Life cycle
Reproduction
The flowers can as they close.
Name and classification
About the name
Older references placed Persian Speedwell in the figwort family; it is now placed in the plantain family. Pocilla persica is an older scientific name.