Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys
Description
The Germander Speedwell, also called the Bird's-eye or Cat's-eye Speedwell, is low, a creeping, herbaceous perennial species of flowering plant in the plantain family, found in woodland clearings, meadows, grassland, parks and lawns. In Germany, the plant is called "Männertreu", or "men's faithfulness", due to the fact that it's blossoms wilt very quickly upon picking. It has been used in traditional herbal medicine for disorders of the nervous system, respiratory tract and cardiovascular system, and the edible leaves make a fine tea. In fact, in Britain, the plant was so popular for making tea, that it was nearly eradicated from London during the 18th century.C
Germander Speedwell Checklist
Habitat
🌳 Deciduous Woodland clearings.
🌲 Coniferous Woodland clearings.
🐑 Grassland, including paddocks, fields and meadows.
🏡 Urban Green Spaces, including scrubland, parks and gardens.
🚜 Hedgerows, including field edges.
Season
🌸🌞 Mar - Jul
Leaves
☘️ Small, triangular in shape, deeply toothed and arranged in opposite pairs.
Flowers
🌷 Small, four-petalled, blue-purple flowers with a white eye-like centre. 1cm across.
Stem
🌱 Small, thin, greenish-red and hairy only along two opposite sides.
Edible Parts
☘️ Leaves
🌷 Flowers
Aroma / Taste
👃 Floral Aroma
👅 Leaves taste slightly bitter, best when brewed into a tea.
ID Notes
🟩 ID Difficulty - Beginner
👀 The cat-like blue-purple flowers are a key identifier of this plant.
👀 The two hairy lines on opposite sides of the stem are also a key identifier.
Uses
☕️ Beverage - leaves and flowers are commonly used to make teas.
🥗 Salad - Leaves can be eaten raw and added to salads.
🌺 Garnish - Flowers can be used as a garnish.