WILDFLOWER: Germander Speedwell
Common name: Germander Speedwell
Latin Name: Veronica chamaedrys
Initially I thought this was some kind of mint escaped from the herb garden but once I saw it burst into little purple flowers with black veins, I knew it was a speedwell of some kind. Looking at the petal shape, colour, size and leaf type I can tell it is the Germander variety.
The plant was used for a variety of medicinal uses in the past, especially for curing gout. It can be used to make tea, which meant it was almost wiped out around London in the 1700s (given the diets and prevalence of gout in that era).
I’ve found this growing throughout the orchard now the grass hasn’t been intensively grazed. I’d say it’s most prevalent in the shade of the large ash trees to the East side.
Latin Name: Veronica chamaedrys
Initially I thought this was some kind of mint escaped from the herb garden but once I saw it burst into little purple flowers with black veins, I knew it was a speedwell of some kind. Looking at the petal shape, colour, size and leaf type I can tell it is the Germander variety.
The plant was used for a variety of medicinal uses in the past, especially for curing gout. It can be used to make tea, which meant it was almost wiped out around London in the 1700s (given the diets and prevalence of gout in that era).
I’ve found this growing throughout the orchard now the grass hasn’t been intensively grazed. I’d say it’s most prevalent in the shade of the large ash trees to the East side.
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