Practical
Plants

Veronica chamaedrys

Germander Speedwell

a perennial member of the Veronica genus in the family Scrophulariaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are a tea substitute[4][5].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

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.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The herb is a blood purifier and vulnerary[8]. It is applied externally to skin diseases and is said to be an efficacious treatment for the itch[8]. Internally, an infusion of the leaves once had a good reputation in the treatment of coughs, asthma, catarrh etc[8].

Product or use
Blood purifier
Product or use
Skin
Product or use
Vulnerary

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, north and western Asia.
Habitat
A common plant of grassland, woods, hedges etc[1][2][3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient quantity, the seed can be sown in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in autumn or spring. 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

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[6]. Prefers cool summers[6]. A good bee plant[7]. A common garden weed, it grows well in a lawn[6] and can be grown in the spring meadow[7]. It is also a good plant for the flower border[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩

  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

    ↩1↩2

  8. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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