Spiked speedwell or Germander speedwell: how to tell them apart?
Spiked speedwell and Germander speedwell look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Spiked speedwell
Veronica spicata
Germander speedwell
Veronica chamaedrys
Spiked speedwell bears its blue-violet flowers grouped in an upright spike at the top of the stems, whereas germander speedwell is a small carpeting perennial with bright blue flowers borne singly in the leaf axils.
🍃 Leaves
Narrow, lanceolate, toothed, bright green
Opposite, ovate, toothed, slightly crinkled
🌸 Flowers
Long, upright spikes of small blue-violet flowers
Small, bright blue with a white centre, four unequal petals
🍎 Fruits
Small flattened capsules
Small capsule, flattened and heart-shaped
🪵 Bark
Upright clump, sparsely branched stems
Stem covered with two opposite lines of hairs
📏 Size
20 to 50 cm tall
10 to 30 cm
🗺️ Habitat
Dry meadows, gardens, rock gardens, free-draining soils
Meadows, banks, woodland edges, lawns
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity.
No known toxicity
🔎 And from the Germander speedwell side
Spiked speedwell bears its blue-violet flowers grouped in an upright spike at the top of the stems, whereas germander speedwell is a small carpeting perennial with bright blue flowers borne singly in the leaf axils.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.