Speedwell is a herbaceous perennial that is easy to grow. It prefers moist, well-drained soil in the full sun. Blooms late spring to mid-summer. Shear down to the basal rosette when done blooming for repeat fall blooms. Use this plant for cut flowers, rock gardens, borders and perennial beds. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Root rot can occur in overly wet soils especially in the winter. Quick ID Flowers blue, in dense terminal racemes Flowers small, star-shaped Leaves opposite, toothed in middle
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Dentate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 2-inch long leaves are opposite, simple, linear-lanceolate to oblong to ovate, acute, cuneate, crenate to subentire apically and basally, pubescent.
Flower color
Blue
Flower value
Good Cut; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Terminal racemes appear in summer on 24 - 30 inch stems with many tiny blue star-shaped flowers. Spikes narrow at the tips.
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe and Asia
Wildlife value
Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Pond; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden