Veronica wormskjoldii
American alpine speedwell
(c) Jason Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Veronica wormskjoldii (American alpine speedwell) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by high elevation, long wavy hairs, and fruit shape are key.
American alpine speedwell is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and North Coast Ranges in moist alpine meadows, streambanks, and lakeshores at elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces deep blue flowers 6 to 10 millimeters long in dense terminal racemes. Growing with erect stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall that root at the nodes and are long-wavy-hairy, it spreads through underground rhizomes. Its leaves are sessile, 20 to 40 millimeters long, lanceolate to elliptic with entire to slightly toothed edges and acute to obtuse tips. The fruit is 4.5 to 6.5 millimeters long, slightly longer than wide with a tiny notch.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; high elevation, long wavy hairs, and fruit shape are key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist alpine meadows, streambanks, lakeshores
Elevation: 1500-3500 m
California counties: Mono, Nevada, Inyo, Modoc, El Dorado, Fresno, Mariposa, Riverside, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Shasta, Plumas, Lassen, Alpine, Madera, Trinity, Placer, Humboldt, Mendocino
Outside California: to Alaska, northeastern United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Veronica wormskjoldii blooms Jun-Aug.
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 wormskjoldii native to California?
Yes. Veronica wormskjoldii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Veronica wormskjoldii bloom?
Veronica wormskjoldii blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Veronica wormskjoldii grow?
Veronica wormskjoldii occurs in Mono, Nevada, Inyo, Modoc, El Dorado, Fresno, Mariposa, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3500 m.
What plant family does Veronica wormskjoldii belong to?
Veronica wormskjoldii is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Veronica.
What habitat does Veronica wormskjoldii grow in?
Veronica wormskjoldii grows in Moist alpine meadows, streambanks, lakeshores.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Veronica americana — American brooklime
- Veronica anagallis-aquatica — Water speedwell
- Veronica arvensis — Corn speedwell
- Veronica californica — Serpentine snow queen
- Veronica catenata — Chain speedwell
- Veronica copelandii — Copeland's speedwell
- Antirrhinum confertiflorum — Ghost flower
- Antirrhinum cornutum — Spurred snapdragon
- Antirrhinum coulterianum — Coulter snapdragon
- Antirrhinum filipes — Tangled snapdragon
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.