Day 17: Speedwell

Veronica spp.

I felt very peaceful today sitting with Veronica Speedwell. She is an old friend of mine that I often sat with as a child on sunny patches of grass close to my home.

Every time I picked her, she lost her pretty blue head, which taught me that flowers are far happier in their natural habitat. Hence my joining them for tea outdoors, instead of bringing them over to my place.

I think one of the reasons why I love blue flowers so much is because of this relationship forming at such a young age. They are also rarer, mostly a springtime blossom, which makes them feel special.

Blue flowers are often linked to positive emotions like tranquillity, peace and serenity. They are soothing like a clear blues sky and represent hope and faith.

The name speedwell refers to a time when travellers would see them at the roadside and believe them to be a lucky charm for safe travel. Apparently, they were even sewn into clothing for safe travel throughout life.

ID features

There are between 400 to 500 variations of speedwell. Looking at a few wildflower keys, I think I found Germander speedwell.

It has hairy, stemless leaves, with sky-blue flowers which have a white centre. The flowers grow in spikes, with about 2 flowering at once. After they drop off, they leave a 4-pointed calyx sticking out on a stalk. Flowers also have 4 petals, as well as purple lines from the centre and a few stamen.

The flower buds and stem are also hairy. Mine were growing in clusters in a grassy area, but mostly I see them dotted about in the field.

Medicinal uses

It is Veronica officinalis that was once used as an official medicine of the British Pharmacopoeia. However, all varieties are edible and can be used medicinally.

They are bitter so stimulate the digestive system, including the liver, gall bladder, stomach and pancreas. This works by direct nervous system action from tongue receptors to the digestive organs. All you have to do is taste the bitter flavour, and hey presto, you get more nutrients from your meal.

The astringency and free-radical scavenging mean it works as an anti-inflammatory, both internally and externally. This, and its antiseptic action has meant it’s been used to support tissue healing, including skin, mouth and digestive tract.

Speedwell is an ingredient in my favourite cough sweets. They are a Swiss brand named Ricola. They blend around 10 herbs to soothe the throat and support effective removal of phlegm through coughing.

They work so well that I only need make one cough, rather than 10, to bring up what needs to be expelled. This is because they contain saponins which causes reflex irritation of the respiratory tract.

Speedwell were occasionally used to make beer which I can well believe as they taste like a pint of bitter.

They are also very mineral-rich, including a good amount of iron.

How to make a cuppa

All parts of the plant can be used, including stem, leaves, flowers and seeds. I put in around 5 that were about thumb-length. Cutting them up or bruising them would release more of their flavour and medicine.

Taste

Initially for me, the taste reminded me of mould or fungus. Very earthy and mushroomy. It is strongly bitter to taste when chewing on the plant, but much less so in the tea.

I didn’t detect an aroma and wonder if I would be more aromatic if the day had been warmer and brighter.

After chewing on the remains of my tea, it suddenly came to me what it reminded me of; half a pint of bitter!

I think I could detect the minerals, or perhaps even iron, in among all that bitter as well somehow.

Click the link below for my:

Speedwell Tea Audio Reflections

 For those Local to me:

My next herb walk is at 6.30pm on Ashton Court on Tuesday 22nd April. Meet at the entrance to the rose garden with a flask of hot water for a foraged tea. We must be mindful that the gates to the grounds are shut at sunset, (8pm), and so we will finish promptly at 7.40pm.

https://fb.me/e/34RlEiN9W

£10 cash on arrival, or pre-pay option via: https://www.healthneedsthyme.co.uk/services

 Herbal Medicine Consultations

I am a qualified medical herbalist, trained in much the same way as a GP. However, my medicines are from nature's medicine chest. They nourish and strengthen so that your body can heal itself. I offer consultations via video call and send tonics out in the post. Email me to book an appointment: sarah-janecobley@healthneedsthyme.co.uk