Veronica anagallis-aquatica
Water speedwell
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Veronica anagallis-aquatica (Water speedwell) is a non-native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by leaf attachment, color, and proportions.
Water speedwell is a naturalized perennial herb found in wet meadows and streambanks throughout California at elevations below 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces lavender to blue flowers with violet lines, arranged in dense axillary racemes with over 30 flowers. Growing with decumbent stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall that root at lower nodes and branch freely from the base, it forms sprawling patches in moist environments. Its leaves are light green, sessile, elliptic to ovate, 20 to 80 millimeters long, with edges ranging from entire to slightly serrate and bases that clasp or heart-shaped. The small fruit is rounded, 2.5 to 4 millimeters wide, with tiny flat seeds less than a millimeter long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are leaf attachment, color, and proportions
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, streambanks, slow streams
Elevation: < 3000 m
California counties: Alameda, San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara, Colusa, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Tulare, Riverside, San Joaquin, Lassen, Mendocino, Inyo, Fresno, Butte, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Mono, Modoc, Monterey, Plumas, Siskiyou, San Benito, Sierra, Sacramento, Calaveras, Glenn, Lake, Solano, Madera, Merced, Tehama, Yuba, Shasta, Napa, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Humboldt, Trinity, Yolo, El Dorado
Outside California: widely naturalized in North America, South America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Veronica anagallis-aquatica blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Melaleuca: Melaleuca has bottlebrush flowers with numerous stamens; Veronica has simple four-petaled flowers with 2 stamens.; vs Nemophila: Nemophila has bowl-shaped flowers with leaves cut into lobes; Veronica has flat flowers and unlobed leaves.; vs Monardella: Monardella has flowers in dense heads with minty aroma; Veronica has scattered four-petaled flowers, no scent.; vs Ludwigia: Ludwigia has bright yellow four-petaled flowers; Veronica has blue, white, or pink flowers in racemes.; vs Lysimachia: Lysimachia has five petals and five sepals; Veronica has four petals and four sepals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Veronica anagallis-aquatica native to California?
No. Veronica anagallis-aquatica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Veronica anagallis-aquatica bloom?
Veronica anagallis-aquatica blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Veronica anagallis-aquatica grow?
Veronica anagallis-aquatica occurs in Alameda, San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of < 3000 m.
What plant family does Veronica anagallis-aquatica belong to?
Veronica anagallis-aquatica is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Veronica.
What habitat does Veronica anagallis-aquatica grow in?
Veronica anagallis-aquatica grows in Wet meadows, streambanks, slow streams.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.