Bird's-Eye Speedwell

Figwort or Snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae family):

Veronica persica Poir.

EPPO code:

VERPE

Other names:

Bird’s-eye veronica

Species information

Lifecycle:

Annual, winter annual.

Propagation:

Reproduces by seed only.

Emergence:

Seed germinates in the fall and in early spring.

Habitat:

Bird’s-eye speedwell is most commonly found in fall/winter cereals and turf grass. It is rarely found in spring-planted field crops because primary tillage or pre-plant burn down removes young seedlings.

Competitiveness:

Bird’s-eye speedwell is not considered a strong competitor and does not interfere with harvesting because it grows low to the ground and is often done flowering and producing seed by early summer.

Identification clues

Seedling

Cotyledons:

Oblong to ovate with rounded tip.

First leaves:

The first leaves of bird’s-eye speedwell are opposite, roundish to egg-shaped on short stalks, hairy on both surfaces and margins with coarse teeth.

Mature leaves:

The mature upper leaves are alternately oriented on the stem, but are more or less the same shape and size as the lower leaves.

Mature plant

Stems:

Bird’s-eye speedwell’s stem grows upright, but weakly. It is often found lying on the ground and rooting from the nodes that touch the soil.

Flowers:

Generally, the plant flowers in the spring to early summer and then again in the fall. Each plant has numerous small, blue, four-lobed flowers on long stalks. Its seed pods are heart shaped and hairy.

Seeds:

Each heart-shaped seed pod contains several yellowish/orange seeds that are roughly 0.5 mm in size.

Roots:

Fibrous, shallow root system.

Often mistaken for

I know it's not Common speedwell because the leaves below bird’s-eye speedwell’s flowers are alternate, whereas common speedwell’s leaves are opposite.

I know it's not Corn speedwell because the flowers of bird’s-eye speedwell grow on long stalks, whereas the flowers of corn speedwell are stalkless.

I know it's not Purslane speedwell because purslane speedwell is hairless and has white flowers, whereas bird’s-eye speedwell is hairy and has light blue flowers on long stalks.