Speedwells are common field plants and yet they are often overlooked, probably because they are so inconspicuous and have such a short life-span. They are mostly overwintering plants, Buxbaum’s Speedwell being especially hardy and capable of growing, and even flowering, in the winter as soon as the temperature rises just above freezing.

Although difficult to eradicate it is a welcome plant in that it is one of the earliest to flower in spring. What makes eradication of Coltsfoot difficult is its extensive root system. The rhizomes, the foodstore of the plant, spread horizontally below the surface of the soil at depths ranging from 20-250 cm, with the greatest concentration found 1 m down. From this, shoots rise to form new rooting plants on the surface, and in autumn, several flower buds form below the surface, close under the leaves, in readiness for the following spring.

The flowerheads and leaves are collected and dried for the drug market. They contain viscous juices, essential oils, insulin, bitter principles, and other substances. The drug obtained is an expectorant and is used in the treatment of coughs. Preparations from Coltsfoot also assist in the healing of wounds, and when the fresh leaves are applied as a compress, they reduce the pain of rheumatism and gout.

Coltsfoot is a plant of two guises. Early in spring, sometimes as early as February, scaly stems bearing lovely bright yellow flowers emerge above the ground.

Ivy Speedwell has leaves which are heart- to kidney-shaped, with several lobes resembling the leaves of ivy, whereas Buxbaum’s Speedwell has ovate leaves with a slightly heart-shaped base and a finely-toothed margin.

These are arranged in a ground rosette, with an effect as of white felt on the underside. This is due to hair-like outgrowths, composed of one row of cells, the last of which is several times longer than the rest and often curled in a spiral round the base of the hair.