Veronica polita aka Gray Field Speedwell

Veronica polita is an annual, a plant that lives one year. It belongs to the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. Its common name is grey field speedwell. Kew places its native range from Europe into central Asia. It reaches as far as the western Himalaya. It also runs from the Canary Islands to northern Somalia. The plant grows in regions with a temperate climate. The RHS does not list it as native to Britain or Ireland. It lists Veronica didyma as another name for this plant.

This small plant grows about 1 foot (0.3 metres) tall. The sources give no clear figure for its spread. They say little about its leaves or stems. PFAF gives a long bloom season, from March to October. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects carry pollen to the flowers. The plant is also self-fertile: it can use its own pollen. The sources give no flower colour or fruit details for this species.

PFAF records it on sunny waste ground in Japan's lowlands. For growing, it lists moist soil that drains well. The soil may be sandy, loamy or clay. It accepts soil that is mildly acid or mildly alkaline. Neutral soil suits it too. It needs an open site, as PFAF says shade does not suit it. The source also lists beds used to grow plants. The sources do not say what value it has in a landscape.

How much cold it can bear in Britain is unclear. PFAF suggests trying it as a half-hardy annual. It bases this on the plant's native range. It does not give a firm rating for cold hardiness. Sow seed in spring where the plant will grow. PFAF also suggests that autumn sowing may be an option. The sources do not show whether it can live through winter. They name no pests or diseases for this species.

PFAF lists the young leaves and stems as edible. You can eat them raw or cooked; they taste sweet. It gives the plant an edibility score of two out of five. PFAF also reports a folk use for a decoction, or boiled extract. This use concerns painful periods and heavy bleeding between periods. That record does not show that the treatment is safe or helps. PFAF reports no known hazards. This does not prove the plant is safe in all cases. It lists no other uses for the plant.