This plant introduced from South Eastern Europe in the 19th century is low growing enough to escape the lawn mowers. The flowers are shorn by the mower but the main plant remains untouched so it happily colonises garden lawns, pitches and parks. These particular plants have been present in our lawn (grass) for over 20 years but as people have noticed all over the British Isles, the numbers and density are decreasing. One explanation for this is that when a new plant arrives it takes a while for the organisms which attack the plant in its home habitat to develop in the new one.

Veronica filiformis has now established itself throughout England, Wales and much of Scotland even as far north as Inverness. It is not common in the Highlands but it has reached the outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. It is not quite so common in Ireland but there is plenty to be found in the north and south.

Helsby, Cheshire April 23rd 2004

Added on December 17th 2004, updated 23rd April 2006, updated 20th February 2012