Pronunciation: veh-RON-ih-kuh ar-VEN-siss
Blue flower faces stand out against hairy, scalloped leaves.
Family Plantaginaceae · plantain family
Genus Veronica
Growth Low, erect or ascending annual
Height Usually 2–12 inches
Bloom Mainly spring into early summer
Habitat Lawns, fields, gardens and disturbed open ground
Status Non-native in North America
Observation maps show reported sightings; they do not define the complete native range.
Flowers: tiny blue to blue-violet corollas, usually about 2–3 mm across, with four unequal lobes and two stamens.
Leaves: lower leaves occur in opposite pairs and have rounded teeth. They are hairy but not deeply divided.
Flowering shoots: alternate, narrower bracts surround flowers on extremely short stalks. The terminal cluster lengthens as it develops.
Fruit: flattened, heart-shaped capsules with a deep notch and hairs along the edges provide another useful clue.
Look close to the ground in lawns, gardens, fields, roadsides and other open, disturbed places. The flowers are small enough to miss from standing height.
Spring is a good time to search in the Midwest, with flowering continuing into early summer where conditions are favorable.
Native to Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and a broad region from Europe into western and central Asia. Widely introduced in North America, including Wisconsin and Illinois.
Sightings maps show reported occurrences, not native range.
Veronica officinalis
Common Speedwell (Veronica officinalis): a creeping perennial with flower clusters arising from leaf axils. Corn Speedwell is an annual with a terminal, leafy flower cluster.
Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica): has larger flowers carried on conspicuous slender stalks.
Spring Speedwell (Veronica verna): has deeply divided upper leaves; Corn Speedwell has toothed or nearly entire leaves and bracts.
Each flower has four uneven lobes, often with a pale center and darker veins. The flowers sit close to the shoot among the leafy bracts.
After flowering, small flattened capsules develop. Their heart-shaped outline and hairy edges help separate this species from similar speedwells.
Photograph a flower face, its attachment to the stem, lower leaf pairs and upper bracts. Later in the season, include a close view of a mature capsule and its edges.
Explore more species in the guide, then practice recognizing wildflowers in the quiz.
