Lawn Guardian

How to Get Rid of Common Speedwell

Veronica officinalis

broadleaf weedUSDA zones 3–8Active: spring

Low-growing perennial that creeps through turf in spring, producing tiny blue flowers. Several species exist; all thrive in thin, moist lawns.

How to identify it

Small, scalloped oval leaves; tiny 4-petaled blue flowers with dark stripes; creeping, mat-forming growth; hairy stems.

Treatment options

Cultural (prevention): Improve turf density

Speedwell colonizes thin, moist turf. Overseed and fertilize.

When: Fall overseeding

Organic: Hand pulling

Pull mats in spring. Shallow roots make removal easy.

When: Pull in early spring before flowering

Chemical: Triclopyr herbicide

More effective than 2,4-D on speedwell species.

When: Apply in spring when actively growing

Active ingredient: Triclopyr — e.g. T-Zone, Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed Killer

Grass safety: always match herbicides to your grass species — products safe on Kentucky bluegrass can kill St. Augustine or centipede. Lawn Guardian checks this automatically against your lawn profile.

Stop common speedwell at the right moment, automatically

Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.

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Related weeds

Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns