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Veronica filiformis
slender speedwell
Overview
Veronica filiformis, slender speedwell, is a low, mat-forming perennial in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) that creeps across the ground on thread-like stems rooting at every node. The rounded, kidney-shaped leaves are small, scalloped, and bright green, set along stems that rarely lift more than 1-2 inches (2-5 cm) above the soil. In spring it produces solitary pale blue flowers, about 0.3-0.4 inch (8-10 mm) wide, each with a white lower lip and held on a long, slender stalk well clear of the foliage. The plant spreads almost entirely by vegetative fragments, and in its introduced range it sets little or no seed, instead colonizing new ground from pieces of stem moved by mowing, foot traffic, and cultivation. It forms loose mats in short turf, lawns, grassy banks, and damp meadows, and roots quickly wherever fragments land. Because mowing scatters rather than removes it, the plant is persistent and difficult to clear from lawns. It grows in sun to light shade on moist, moderately fertile soil and dies back little in mild winters.
Native Range
Native to the Caucasus and the mountains of northern Turkey, where it grows in damp grassland and on stream banks. It was introduced to Europe and North America as a rock-garden plant and has naturalized widely, becoming a common lawn and grassland weed in cool, moist regions.Suggested Uses
Grown as a low groundcover in rock gardens, gravel, and shaded edges where its spring sheet of blue flowers suits informal settings. Used to fill cracks and bank faces in wilder plantings that can contain its spread. Its readiness to colonize turf makes it unsuited to managed lawns and tidy borders.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1" - 2"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Pale blue flowers open from April through June, scattered singly across the mat on long stalks. Each flower is short-lived, and in cool-climate introductions the plant seldom forms viable seed. Bees and hoverflies visit the flowers, though spread relies far more on stem fragments than on seed.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale blue with whiteFoliage Description
bright greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-7 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight