Veronica persica
First recorded in the Garden on 10th March 2024, this common annual species was already in flower when we first noticed in growing in a small pot amongst some yarrow (the more feathery plant shown below).
It’s apparently a non-native, first recorded in the UK around 200 years ago, which has become common throughout the country. It can flower throughout the year and spreads by seed, and in places it can become a bit of a weed.
This is one of several very similar Speedwell species, several of which are very common. However we can quickly narrow this down, according to Blamey & Fritter *, to four species on account of it having a single flower arising on a flower stem from a leaf base, as the image below clear shows in this case.
This really narrows it down to four species, all of which are common but only two of which have flowers wider than 8 or 9mm. In this case the flower was more like 11mm, see below, suggesting this is either Common Field Speedwell OR Slender Speedwell. However the leaves on Slender Speedwell are stalked, whereas and similarly to our plant, the leaves of Common Field Speedwell are not stalked or very shortly stalked, as shown in the image above.
Other clues include the almost white lower petal suggesting Field Speedwell and the leaves of Slender Speedwell are much more kidney shaped. The flowers of Slender Speedwell are normally more lilac in colour, but that’s very subjective and not reliable.
1* Blamey, M. Fritter, R, Fritter, A. (2003) Wild Flowers of Britain & Ireland. A & C Black Publishing Ltd, London
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