Get started identifying wild and naturalised speedwells in a brand-new crib sheet suitable for beginners.
Find keys boring? You’re not alone. While those of us who spend our days obsessively searching for plants quite like them, for most people, they don’t cut the mustard. Indeed, they can be particularly offputting to beginners.
It is for this reason that I wanted to start a new series on this blog – Common’s Cribs, a full series that will eventually appear here. Hopefully colourful and straightforward, these simple guides include the species people are likely to encounter during their daily lives, hopefully making the process of identifying a plant easier.
Identifying Speedwells
Cheery, blue, and rather diverse, speedwells are all around us. Abundant in both the wider countryside and urban areas, these little flowers are surprisingly diverse and can prove a challenge to the amateur botanist. This, alongside their delicate appeal, makes them a fun group to explore in the next of these beginner’s cribs.
In this crib, we’ll look at:
- Common Field-speedwell
- Green Field-speedwell
- Grey Field-speedwell
- Ivy-leaved Speedwell
- Slender Speedwell
- Wood Speedwell
- Germander Speedwell
- Heath Speedwell
- Thyme-leaved Speedwell
- Wall Speedwell
- Brooklime
- Pink Water-speedwell
- Blue Water-speedwell
Please note that several other speedwells exist in the far reaches of the UK and more still can turn up as garden escapes. This crib is ideally suited to North East England but could be used anywhere if you bear this in mind.