Veronica hederifolia
ivy-leaved speedwell
Europe, western Asia, and North Africa
SunFull Sun – Part Shade
WaterLow
Overview
Veronica hederifolia is a low-growing winter annual reaching 2-12 inches (5-30 cm) in height with a spreading habit that forms loose mats 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) across. Stems are weak, branching from the base, and often trail along the ground before the tips turn upward. The leaves are rounded to kidney-shaped with three to seven shallow lobes, 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) long, carried on petioles and resembling small ivy leaves. Solitary flowers arise from the leaf axils on slender stalks, each 0.1-0.3 inch (3-8 mm) across with four pale blue to lilac or near-white lobes. The fruit is a two-lobed capsule containing a few cup-shaped seeds. As a cool-season annual it germinates in autumn, overwinters as a rosette of foliage, and completes flowering and seeding by late spring before dying back. It grows on cultivated ground, gardens, hedgebanks, and waste places, often appearing among winter cereals and in disturbed soil. One limitation in garden settings is its prolific self-seeding, which allows dense colonies to establish quickly in bare soil.
Native Range
Veronica hederifolia is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It has become naturalized across much of temperate North America, where it grows as a weed of cultivated and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Veronica hederifolia is rarely cultivated and is generally treated as a weed of gardens and arable land. Where it occurs it forms low early-season ground cover and supports small early-flying pollinators that visit the flowers.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'
Width/Spread4" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowers appear from early spring, typically March to May in temperate regions. Each bloom is short-lived, but plants produce flowers in succession over several weeks. Flowering ends as temperatures rise and the annual completes its life cycle by early summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale blue to lilac or whitishFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 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
Water & Climate
Water Needs