Veronica cusickii
Cusick's speedwell
(c) Peter Abrahamsen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Veronica cusickii (Cusick's speedwell) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by deep blue flowers and glandular-hairy fruits are distinctive.
Cusick's speedwell is a California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Cascade Range in forest openings and meadows at elevations of 1,800 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces deep blue flowers approximately 10 to 13 millimeters long with delicate, glandular-hairy pedicels. Growing with ascending, branched stems 10 to 15 centimeters tall, it spreads through slender rhizomes and features a distinctively glandular-hairy growth habit. Its leaves are sessile, elliptic to ovate, 5 to 25 millimeters long, generally glabrous with entire margins and acute to obtuse tips. The fruit is 5 to 6 millimeters long, slightly longer than wide, and deeply notched with glandular hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; deep blue flowers and glandular-hairy fruits are distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Forest openings, meadows
Elevation: 1800-3000 m
California counties: Alpine, Madera, Lassen, Placer, Sierra, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Amador, Tuolumne
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Veronica cusickii blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 cusickii native to California?
Yes. Veronica cusickii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Veronica cusickii bloom?
Veronica cusickii blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Veronica cusickii grow?
Veronica cusickii occurs in Alpine, Madera, Lassen, Placer, Sierra, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Amador and other counties, at elevations of 1800-3000 m.
What plant family does Veronica cusickii belong to?
Veronica cusickii is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Veronica.
Is Veronica cusickii rare or endangered?
Veronica cusickii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.