Herb: Garden Speedwell


Latin name: Veronica longifolia


Synonyms: Pseudolysimachion longifolium


Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)



Edible parts of Garden Speedwell:

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Steppes, grassy mountain slopes, meadows at forest edges and birch forests below 1500 metres in northwest China.

Propagation of Garden Speedwell:

Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in autumn or spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Steppes, grassy mountain slopes, meadows at forest edges and birch forests below 1500 metres in northwest China.

Medicinal use of Garden Speedwell:

None known

Known hazards of Veronica longifolia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.