Veronica americana
American Brooklime
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Genus
- Veronica
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 0.1 m
- Spread
- 1 m
- Fertility
- self fertile
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
Leaves - raw or cooked[6][7][2][3]. A hot flavour, it can be used as a watercress substitute[6].
- 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.
Expectorant[3].
- Product or use
- Expectorant
Environment
- Range
- N. America - Newfoundland to Alaska, south to California and N. Carolina.
- Habitat
- Shallow water, rills and swamps[5].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- aquatic
- Hardiness
- Zone 2+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame[4]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in autumn or spring[4]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cultivation
An easily grown plant, succeeding in a moderately fertile wet soil or in shallow water[1][4]. Prefers cool summers[4]. Plants do not demand high light levels[4]. Closely related to V. beccabunga[1].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009
Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9