Veronica americana

Common Names

American Speedwell, Brooklime, American Brooklime

Summary

Veronica americana, commonly called American brooklime or American speedwell, is a North American wetland perennial with smooth, hairless stems that root at the nodes and spread by creeping rhizomes. It grows 4 to 20 inches tall with opposite, simple leaves (1/4 to 3 inches long) that are lance- to egg-shaped with serrated to nearly toothless margins; at the stem tips and upper leaf axils, blue to lavender to almost white four-petaled flowers appear in racemes from May to October, each flower 1/4 to 1/3 inch wide with nectar guides and a green center.

In cultivation, it prefers partial sun to full shade and consistently moist, loamy or clay soils, tolerating shallow standing water and often growing in wet habitats such as swamps, seeps, stream banks, and ponds. It can be grown from division or stem cuttings, spreads by creeping rhizomes, and is hardy in USDA zones 3a–8b; it is suitable for ornamental wetlands, rain gardens, and erosion control along watercourses, as well as pollinator-friendly plantings and wildlife habitat.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-10 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3a-8b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, with a range from Partial Sun to Full Shade.

Soil Type

Consistently moist, boggy wetland soils, typically loamy or clay textures, including muddy, lime-rich calcareous soils along streams.

Soil Drainage

Wet, poorly drained soils; constantly moist to waterlogged

Soil pH

6.5-6.5, broad tolerance to neutral, alkaline, or acidic soils

Bloom Color

Blue to purple

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Cuttings, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies and moths