Persian Speedwell (Veronica Persica)

-Starts blooming mid to late winter

-Four petals fading from light-blue to white; violet or dark-blue stripes pointing inward

-Stalk rising several inches off the ground and/or splaying outward along the ground

-Sunward facing individual flowerheads emerging from between upper stalk leaves

-Flower is showy, about the length of an adult pinky fingernail, petal tip to petal tip

You may notice that Birds Eye Speedwell, also called Persian Speedwell, begins to flower just after Hairy/Pennsylvania Bittercress, the two plants sometimes right next to one another. But this variety of Speedwell is far more showy than almost any other cool weather bloomer. South facing yards or gardens can easily erupt into cascades of violet-blue as the sun catalyzes the winter thaw, and if left alone these patches will grow even more vibrant.





















Individual blooms may not last very long, since the flowerhead will detach from its stalk if disturbed, but any flowers lost are vigorously replaced. The plant will drop its flowers eventually- unwilted and intact- even if not disturbed, and these spent flowerheads will create a carpet of blue at the base of any strong Persian Speedwell patch, enhancing the visual effect of the flowers.

If you've been paying attention to the name of this annual, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that it is not a North American native, but- like many lawn weeds- introduced from Europe. It probably was brought over for its showy flowers, and even now is still favored by some as a low maintenance ground cover for yards. Of course, this plant has spread prolifically outside the territory of those who desire its presence and so may also be considered, by others, to be an invasive weed.

There are other varieties of Speedwell which can be mistaken for Persian Speedwell. Be careful differentiating from Germander Speedwell (also called Birds Eye Speedwell) which, to my knowledge, is a much less common perennial. Other Speedwells may grow near to Persian Speedwell and bloom at the same time, but among Speedwells you will encounter, the Persian variety is likely to have the largest flowers. Regardless of the exact specimen that you may encounter, the stunning blue to blue-violet colors common to Speedwell flowers can be a welcome addition to any curbside.

Notice the number of lobes (teeth, or points) on Persian Speedwell leaves. This variety has nine or eleven teeth on its leaves.

The flower petals are rounded at the edges, with the bottom petal smaller than the other three. Oftentimes the flowers will be oriented so as to face southward, or toward the sunlight, and will rise above the rest of the leaves. The stalk may also grow horizontally or at an angle, rather than straight up into the air.

See below for more examples of Persian Speedwell.

Hairy and Pennsylvania Bittercress (Cardamine Hirsuta and Pensylvanica)

Bittercress:

-Starts blooming mid to late winter, or earlier depending on location

-Flowers in clusters at the top of stalks, each with four white petals

-Conspicuous seedpods clustered along and further down the stem



One of the first flowers to emerge during the cold of winter is Bittercress. If you're noticing little tiny white flowers appearing on stalks rising several inches off the ground in mid to late winter, it's probably Bittercress, and if you're in the Eastern US and it's Bittercress you're seeing, it's probably the variety called Hairy Bittercress. Or... Pennsylvania Bittercress. The problem is, it's really difficult to tell the difference between some Bittercress varieties- and these two varieties in particular- since their appearance is similar. There are actually several species of Cardamine that look so much alike, a casual observation would not be able to distinguish between them. But it's really not that important to the amateur to fine tune this identification; just tell your friends that 'weed' springing up in their yard is called Bittercress.












There is, however, one distinction that might be important for the amateur: between the two most common Bittercress varieties (Pennsylvania and Hairy), the former is native but the latter is introduced. This distinction doesn't prevent either variety from growing rampantly in disturbed areas, gardens left abandoned for the winter, yards, curbsides, and yes, cracks in the pavement. Cress, interestingly, is another word for 'salad', so you could be reasonably confident that these members of the mustard family- and relatives to watercress- were once used as a green in a forager's salad.

If you're still having trouble deciding if you're looking at Bittercress, one of the most conspicuous traits of the annual plant is its seedpods. While green, they form up in ranks along the stalk underneath the flowering head like very miniature pea pods. But when brown, watch out for a surprise! Using mechanical action, the spring-loaded pods will explode suddenly if even slightly disturbed, scattering the seeds across your yard or garden. Take a young child out to a Bittercress patch and see if the young one can manage to relight for you any excitement in a common weed. ...But... if necessary, catching the pods while green should allow for safe diffusing.


Notice how the leaves are rounded close to the ground, but can be pointed, angular, or even vary narrow further up along the stem.

The similarity of Bittercress flowers and fact that the leaves vary in shape depending on the part of the plant which is examined both make it difficult to correctly distinguish between several of these Bittercress species.

See below for more examples of common Bittercress.