What is it Wednesday: April 28, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

April 28, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This tiny wildflower is Veronica persica. It also goes by many common names, including bird’s-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell, and common, field, and winter speedwell.

There are many varieties of speedwell, some wild and some cultivated. The main differences between varieties are in the shapes of the leaves, with also some variation in color and minor variations in shape of petals. This variety has one lower smaller petal that is nearly all white, two side petals that are half white and half streaked with purple, and and upper petal that is nearly all streaked with purple. As the common name Persian suggests, this variety is not native to our area and is originally from Eurasia, but it has become widely naturalized, especially in yards. There is a speedwell native to North America – American speedwell.

Speedwell tends to bloom early in spring, and we see it most when it is present in yards around camp before we begin mowing! I’m not sure if we see it so briefly because it doesn’t bloom for long, or if it gets cut shortly after it blooms. Either way, it is lovely to enjoy this little carpet of blue and white while it is here.

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!