Veronica beccabunga - Brooklime

Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, incl Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, temperate Asia to Japan and Himalayas

Veronica beccabunga (Brooklime) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 5and is vunerable to frost.
Brooklime will flower in November to March. the seeds ripen from January to March
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Flies, bees, self

Soil Information

Brooklime will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Brooklime prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Brooklime can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

In streams, ditches, ponds and wet places in meadows, in acid or alkaline soils[9, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Is a pond plant
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a moderately fertile wet soil, growing best in water up to 15cm deep[24, 200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. Plants do not demand high light levels[200]. A good bee plant[24].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 4, 5, 115]. They can be added to salads, mixed with water cress or cooked with other strongly flavoured greens[9, 183]. A pungent flavour, although the leaves are wholesome they are not very palatable[4, 12].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The whole plant is alterative, antiscorbutic, very mildly diuretic, emmenagogue and febrifuge[4, 9, 13, 21]. It is of little benefit as a medicinal herb, but has a beneficial laxative effect when included in the diet[9]. The leaves are used in the treatment of scurvy, impurity of the blood etc[240]. The plant is bruised and applied externally as a politic on burns, ulcers, whitlows, etc[240].

• Alterative - Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
• Antiscorbutic - A plant rich in vitamin C that is used to counteract scurvy.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Emmenagogue - Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.
• Febrifuge - Reduces fevers.
• Poultice - A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Propagation

Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient, the seed can be sown in situ in the spring or the autumn. Division at almost any time in the growing season. Very easy, even a small part of the plant will root if put in water[K].

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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