Veronica agrestis
Field Speedwell
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Genus
- Veronica
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.1 m
- Fertility
- self fertile
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Dryoptera, Hymenoptera, Self
Uses
Edible uses
Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. A bitter flavour[K]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[2].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and haemorrhage[4].
- Product or use
- Women's complaints
Environment
- Range
- Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, W. Asia.
- Habitat
- Cultivated ground throughout Britain, common in the north, local in the south[1].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ.
Cultivation
Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[3]. Prefers cool summers[3].
References
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4