Germander Speedwell

Veronica chamaedrys

Plantaginaceae

26th May 2020

In the shade of an old oak tree, in one of the furthest corners of the garden I came across a beautiful mass of tiny deep blue flowers nestled in the grass.

To identify them Collins says ‘Grows in grassy places, meadows and open woodlands, and on verges… FLOWERS 10-12mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and blue with a white centre….LEAVES Oval, toothed, hairy, short-stalked’. 

The most important botanical detail is ‘two lines of whitish down on the stems’ (as noted in the Domino Guide) as this differentiates the Germander from the other Speedwells - and there are quite a few of them! Five Speedwell varieties have been recorded in the garden, but I am still searching…

They spend their time as part of the Plantaginaceae family, along with Digitalis or Foxgloves. 

I love that the Genus of this flower and it’s Latin name is Veronica, to me such a serious name for a flower that grows so freely and abundantly, and so it seems with little care.  A little very useful book I found, (called Plant Names Simplified) indicates that the word chamaedrys is the ‘old name for Germander Speedwell, signifying ‘on the ground,’ and ‘an oak’ the plant’s habit and shape of leaves’. So very fitting that I discovered my patch under an oak! Once I started looking however, they really were all over the garden, sitting prettily in the grasses..  

It is the beautiful azure blue of the flowers, with their striking white centre that draws me back to them. Sadly, when picked, the flowers drop off pretty rapidly, so they aren’t so good for a tiny vase. 

They flower from April through to July, so plenty of time to find them.

Alice x