Flower profile

Bird's-eye speedwell

Veronica persica

Introduced in the lower 48

Bird's-eye speedwell is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 12 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.

48states

12of our state lists

40,897U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Veronica persica is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Common names include birdeye speedwell, common field-speedwell, Persian speedwell, large field speedwell, bird's-eye, or winter speedwell. The most widespread species of Veronica, it is native to western Asia but has been introduced worldwide.
From Wikipedia's article Veronica persica, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 48 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. ^iNaturalist
In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,940 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #36 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,698 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #51 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,330 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #32 among the 110 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist

Bird's-eye speedwell gift ideas

Handmade bird's-eye speedwell gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Bird's-eye speedwell art print
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Bird's-eye speedwell earrings
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Bird's-eye speedwell embroidery pattern
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Bird's-eye speedwell sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,452 records)

Bloom time in each of our 12 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Virginia	Introduced	February–May	3,940
Pennsylvania	Introduced	March–May	3,698
Maryland	Introduced	February–May	3,330
North Carolina	Introduced	February–April	3,324
Tennessee	Introduced	February–April	2,365
New Jersey	Introduced	March–May	1,389
Louisiana	Introduced	January–April	799
Utah	Introduced	February–May	641
Alabama	–	January–April	635
Kentucky	Introduced	February–May	634
West Virginia	Introduced	February–May	591
Delaware	Introduced	February–May	318

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Utah.
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe has no Alabama rank for it.
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records bird's-eye speedwell in 48 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Greene, Greensville, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wythe, York.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Allegheny, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Cambria, Chester, Clearfield, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Somerset, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, York.

More Virginia flowers

Butter-and-eggs (common toadflax)

Linaria vulgaris

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Foxglove beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Native

🌼 Blooms: May–July

Heath speedwell

Veronica officinalis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VEPE3.
iNaturalist, Veronica persica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Veronica persica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Veronica persica (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.