Is this plant a weed?

Yes, it is often considered a weed in lawns and garden beds.

Does it need much water?

It prefers moist soil but will tolerate some drying out.

Plant guide

Ivy-leaved speedwell.

Veronica hederifolia

Pronounced veh-RON-ih-kah hed-er-ih-FOH-lee-ah

Also known as Ivy Leaved Speedwell, Ivy-Leaved Speedwell agg., Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Ivyleaf speedwell, Large-Leaved Speedwell

Ivy-leaved Speedwell — Photo by Douglas Goldman (CC BY-SA) via iNaturalist

This charming little plant is a common sight in gardens and fields during the cooler months. It is a low growing annual that spreads across the ground with delicate stems. You will often see its tiny blue flowers peeking out from the foliage in early spring.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 6 to 12 inches
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 9
Bloom time: Early spring to late spring

Care

This plant thrives in moist, well draining soil and prefers cooler temperatures. Keep an eye out for overcrowding if it starts to spread too quickly in your garden beds. It is quite resilient and usually handles itself well without much intervention.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy.
Feeding: This plant generally does not require supplemental fertilizer.
Pruning: Trim back if it begins to overtake other plants.
Repotting: As an annual, this plant completes its life cycle in one season and does not require repotting.
Soil: Moist, fertile soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic
Temperature: -15 to 25°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%

Safety

People: It is not considered toxic, but it is not intended for human consumption.
Children: Keep children away from the plant to prevent accidental ingestion of unknown plant matter.
Contact allergens: There are no known significant skin irritants associated with this plant.
Airborne allergens: The pollen may cause mild reactions in sensitive individuals during the spring.
Edibility: This plant is generally considered inedible and may cause digestive upset if consumed.

How to identify it

Rounded leaves with shallow lobes
Tiny pale blue or violet flowers
Hairy stems and foliage
Small heart shaped seed capsules

Height: 0.05 to 0.3m
Spread: 0.1 to 0.4m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: blue, violet, 0.5 to 1cm
Fruit: green, late spring

Problems to watch for

Downy mildew · Fungal growth that appears as yellow spots on leaves in damp conditions.

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: autumn, spring

This plant is best managed as a temporary ground cover in early spring before other perennials emerge.

Grows well with

Common Chickweed · They often grow together in similar cool, disturbed soil conditions.

Similar species

Persian Speedwell · It is a related species that also appears as a common garden weed.

Science

Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Veronica
Order: Lamiales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
Conservation: This species is widespread and considered a common weed, so it is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soils and open areas where it can quickly set seed before summer heat arrives.

Value to wildlife: early season nectar source
Pollinators: bees
Uses: ground cover, pollinator support

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 1/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 6/9
Temperature: 4/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 6/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is this plant a weed?: Yes, it is often considered a weed in lawns and garden beds.
Does it need much water?: It prefers moist soil but will tolerate some drying out.

Where the name comes from

The name Veronica is thought to honor Saint Veronica, while hederifolia means ivy-leaved in Latin.

Good to know

It is often called ivy-leaved speedwell because its leaves resemble small ivy leaves.
The flowers are very small and often go unnoticed in the garden.
It completes its life cycle very quickly in the spring.

Keep your ivy-leaved speedwell growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on October 19, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.