Slender Speedwell

Common name: Slender Speedwell

Botanical name: Veronica filifomis

Family: Plantaginaceae

Lifecycle: Perennial

Habitat: Slender speedwell thrives in soils that are rich in nutrients, moisture retentive and are shaded. It is a low growing weed that spreads very aggressively, it can be one of the worst weeds to have in managed turf, as it is difficult to remove.

Leaf: Slender speedwell is similar in appearance to germander speedwell, but slender has smaller leaves. The younger leaves are generally kidney shaped and as they mature, they become more rounded in appearance often with toothed edges.

Flower: The small light blue, sometimes purple flowers have four petals, with one petal being noticeably smaller than the remaining three. The flowers bloom between March & June.

Removal & Control: Be vigilant and remove this weeds as soon as it appears. Encourage a healthy lawn with good turf care practises such as regular feeding, aeration, mowing correctly etc, to help suppress weeds. Box of the clipping when mowing as slender speedwell is capable of regenerating from fragments of stems.

The bad news is slender speedwell is resistant to almost all selective weed killers available to the amateur gardener. If you decide to try this route, choose a product that contains an ingredient called 'fluroxypyr', however expect to be met with limited or no success.

Another option is to contact a professional lawn care service, as they will have the relevant spraying certificates and access to professional turf care chemicals.