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Veronica americana

Image of Veronica americana

Family

Scrophulariaceae

Botanical Name

Veronica americana

Plant Common Name

American Brooklime, American Speedwell

Special Notice

This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.

General Description

In any low, wet pocket of a woodland, meadow or ditch, the American speedwell may sprawl its stems into a groundcover thicket to engangle your feet. A prostrate herbaceous perennial with tiny blue flowers, it is native across most of temperate North America, except for Mexico and the southerneastern-most United States. Not an ornamental garden plant, American speedwell is usually regarded as a weed of wet areas, even though the flowers are delicate and pretty.

The long stems root at their nodes atop the moist soil. The plant is usually prostrate unless grown in amply fertile and wet soils. Buds from the bases of leaves sprout upward in summer to display the tiny, four-petaled blue flowers in a wispy cluster. The deep green leaves, which are oval and have small rounded teeth, appear in opposite pairs on the reddish stems. Each leaf blade has a short petiole stem, which helps distinguish American speedwell from the similarly looking aquatic plant called water speedwell.

American speedwell grows well in moist to soggy soil along the edges of lakes, ponds and streams, or in soil depressions in the dappled light in woodlands. If soil moisture is ample, nearly full sun is tolerated, otherwise it excels in partial sun or light shade with very bright, diffused light. Plants may sprout from seed or more frequently, from sprouts on older plants with spreading rhizome root systems.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    9 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    2 - 9

  • Sunset Zone

    A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

  • Plant Type

    Perennial

  • Sun Exposure

    Partial Shade

  • Height

    6"-24" / 15.2cm - 61.0cm

  • Width

    3'-4' / 0.9m - 1.2m

  • Bloom Time

    Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer

  • Native To

    Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Western United States, Northwestern United States, Southwestern United States, Alaska, California, Texas, Canada

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral

  • Soil Drainage

    Poorly Drained

  • Soil type

    Clay, Loam, Sand

  • Tolerances

    Wet Site

  • Growth Rate

    Fast

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Spreading

  • Seasonal Interest

    Summer

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    Sky Blue

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Green

  • Fragrant Flowers

    No

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    Yes

  • Showy Fruit

    No

  • Edible Fruit

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    No

  • Foliage Texture

    Medium

  • Foliage Sheen

    Matte

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Usage

    Bog Garden, Wildflower

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    Sometimes

  • Self-Sowing

    Yes