“O Well of the Strand of the Two Women, beautiful are thy cresses, luxuriant, branching; since thy produce is neglected on thee thy brooklime is not suffered to grow. Forth from thy banks thy trout are to be seen, thy wild swine in the wilderness; the deer of thy fair hunting crag-land, thy dappled and red-chested fawns! Thy mast all hanging on the branches of the trees; thy fish in estuaries of the rivers; lovely the colours of thy purling streams, O thou that art azure-hued, and again green with reflections of surrounding copse-wood.”

Standish O’ Grady translation, The Colloquy With the Ancients, 12 to 14th century

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Cover art by John Atkinson Grimshaw

Brooklime or Veronica beccabunga is also called water pimpernel, becky leaves, germander speedwell, European speedwell or limewort. Brooklime was called lothar, lothal or biolair-Mhoire in Gaeilge and lochall in Scots Gaelic. The name Veronica has an unknown European origin while the Danish name beccabunga means ‘brook bunch’. The common name Brooklime simply refers to the way in which the plant frequently occurs not only along brooks or streams but in heavy lime environments. Brooklime can be easily overlooked but once I’ve focused on it, it’s hard to take my eyes off the stunning blue flowers. The rounded, subtly serrated leaves are pleasing as well and the plant just feels healing. 

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