The summers are getting hotter and drier, the winters milder. In the Netherlands, more and more species from southern regions are finding a place in the city and nature. The False Ivy Prize (Veronica cymbalaria) is an example of the Mediterraneanization of the Dutch Flora.
Distribution in the Netherlands
In 2016, the article ‘Watch out for the False Climbing Prize’ appeared on Nature Today. At the time, only four sightings were known in our region: two in the Netherlands and two in Belgium. Thanks in part to the article, florists and aficionados have become familiar with the Schijnkliopereprijs; in recent years it has led to many new finds spread in both the Netherlands and Belgium. In the meantime, the Schijnkliopereprijs in the Netherlands has 31 atlas blocks (sections of 5 by 5 kilometres). The preference of Schijnklimopereprijs seems to lie mainly in urban areas: in towns and villages and mainly in cemeteries and public gardens.
Given the annual number of new finds, the False Climbing Prize is not standing still and more and more will probably be found. Early in the year, during the blooming period of the Klimopereprijs, it pays to look for the False Klimopereprijs.
Recognition
The False Klimopereprijs is very similar to the Klimopereprijs that is common in the Netherlands (Veronica hederifolia). Both speedwells are low-growing, decumbent-rising, annual herbs and flower in early spring (early March to May). With flowers and/or fruits, the False Climbing Flower is easy to recognize: the flowers are completely white and the fruits are very hairy. The table below lists the main differences between the two types.
| Ivy price (Veronica hederifolia) | False ivy price (Veronica cymbalaria) | |
| Flower color | Bluish to pale lilac: sometimes almost white, but then veined with blue, purple or pink | Wit |
| Sepals | Striker with heart-shaped foot | Obovate, obtuse |
| Fruit | Weight | Long hairy |
| Bladvorm | Leaf with 3-5(-7) lobes | Leaf with 5-7(-9) lobes |
Report observations
You can pass on sightings of Schijnkliopereprijs via VERA or Waarneming.nl. VERA is the input app for the NDFF Distribution Atlas.
Want to read more about False Climbing Prize? In 2016, the digital magazine Dumortiera published an article about the first finds of Schijnkliopereprijs in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Text: Stef van Walsum, FLORON
Photos: Stef van Walsum; William Bram
Map: FLORON / NDFF Distribution Atlas