Verbena Info and Care
The verbena is a perennial herb with a large variety of species. It is also one of the most commonly grown houseplants. If you’re looking for your own verbena plant, you’ll find this article helpful. It will tell you all about the most popular varieties, how to care for them, and how to keep them growing happily.
You’ll learn about the type of soil and light each verbena needs, along with other tips for growing, trimming, and propagating.
What is Verbena?
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Verbena is a perennial herb that comes from the vervain family. There are a variety of types and colors, but most of them are upright growing. And, most are grown as ornamental plants that have fragrant flowers.
Verbena is a hardy, perennial herb that can be grown in a number of different climates and soil types. Its leaves and flowers are used to create a number of different scents, and its root is used as a food source by some species of bees. It’s an easy plant to grow and maintain, and it makes a great addition to any garden.
In this post, we’ll discuss the different varieties of verbena and the best ways to grow them. We’ll also share tips on how to care for your plants and maintain a healthy garden.
Uses of Verbena:
Verbena is a beautiful and fragrant herb that can be used in many ways. From cooking to crafting, there are a number of ways to use this herb. In addition to culinary uses, verbena can be used for medicinal purposes as well.
Verbena is grown as a fragrant ornamental plant for borders, beds, and containers.
Once you start growing verbena, you’ll be able to add it to your decor, cut the flowers for bouquets, and also use a few of the leaves as tea.
What’s more, many varieties thrive inside and can brighten up a patio or container garden.
How to Grow Verbena?
You can grow verbena from cuttings, seeds, or even from root division. The latter is called propagation and this is done for many reasons. It allows you to share a plant with others, expand your collection, and even help a verbena that was damaged.
Planting and Care
The majority of verbena plants only grow up to 2 or 3 feet tall. That’s why verbena is one of the best low-growing ground covers for any garden or flower bed.
When you’re growing verbena in your garden or flower bed, you will want to keep the roots moist, but not wet. The exception would be the ice plant verbena (Verbena hastata).
- Verbena bonariensis is commonly known as Purpletop Vervain, and it is a tender perennial that reaches 36 – 48 inches in height. It has clusters of rose-violet flowers that are held on long stems, and in some areas, this flower is called Verbena On A Stick.
- Growing in USDA zones 7 - 11 the flowers are rich in nectar and very attractive to bees, butterflies, and song birds also enjoy the flowers when they go to seed.
- This 36 - 48 inch perennial flower is fairly drought tolerant once it is established, and it works well to naturalize any setting, looking especially lovely in meadows.
- Purpletop Vervain seed needs a cold treatment to aid in the germination process. Either plant the seed directly outdoors in the late fall or moisten the seed in a paper towel, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 days before planting outdoors in the spring after danger of frost has passed.
- Press the seed into the soil and cover lightly with peat moss. With a temperature of 70 - 75F, germination is usually within 28 days. Grow Verbena in full sun and well-drained soil. Space plants 24 inches apart. Usually, Purpletop Vervain is resistant to both deer and rabbits. It is known to reseed, but it is not considered to be invasive.
Tips for Growing Verbena: Care and Maintenance
Verbena is one of the most popular houseplants. There are many types available, each with its own care requirements. In order to make sure your verbena is happy, you’ll need to know what kind of conditions it needs. From soil to sunlight, here are some tips to help you care for your verbena.
Light: Give your verbena as much light as possible, but not direct sunlight.
Soil: You’ll want to give your verbena a mixture of regular soil and peat moss. In addition, you’ll need to water it regularly. It will need to be kept in soil that drains well.
Water: Verbena is a low-maintenance plant, but it still needs to be watered regularly.
Temperature: Verbena likes a warm temperature, so it should be planted in a location that is not too cold.
Cool Facts About Verbena:
- It has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy.
- The leaves have a sweet, lemony scent and are often used to make tea.
- The Latin name for verbena is “vervain,” which means “to weave” or “to bind.
- These plants are commonly thought of as “lace” or “textured” because they have tiny hairs on them.
- Verbena is a long-lived plant and can live for many seasons.
- Around the world, they are grown on every continent except Antarctica.
Varieties of Verbena Plants
There are hundreds of varieties of verbena. Some are fragrant and some are not. Some are upright growing and others are trailing. The following are common varieties:
- Sandpaper Verbena (Glandularia rigida)
- Imagination’ Verbena
- Moss verbena (Verbena tenuisecta)
- Texas Rose verbena (Verbena x hybrida ‘Texas Rose’)
- Blue Princess verbena (Verbena x hybrida ‘Blue Princess’)
- Verbena Superbena ‘Violet Ice’
- Peaches and Cream’ Verbena
- Homestead Purple’ Verbena
- Brazilian verbena (Verbena bonariensis)
- Blue vervain (Verbena hastata)
- Rigid verbena (Verbena rigida)
- Trailing verbenas.
- Novalis’ Verbena
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to grow your own verbena plants, you can do so by planting them in your garden or by growing them indoors as houseplants. All you need is a little bit of care and maintenance, as well as water and sunlight, to keep your verbena thriving year after year!
Life is Better When You Garden™
Does verbena come back every year?
In the USA climate zone, 7 to 11 verbena is a perennial that comes back every spring. In colder areas, it can overwinter if you store it in a basement or garage protected from frost. However, verbenas are usually grown as an annual plant since they are not expensive.
When should verbena be cut back?
If you grow verbena as a perennial, be sure to prune it in early spring removing all old branches. Since it is a plant that proliferates, even when you grow it as a seasonal species, you should shorten the shoots by 2 thirds in the middle of summer after the first wave of flowers passes to enjoy a lush compact shape in the second part of the season.
Do you need to deadhead verbena?
Removing withered flowers prolongs the flowering season because the plant does not spend energy creating seeds but new flowers. So be sure to cut the withered flowers since it stimulates the plant to produce new ones!
How do you maintain verbena?
Verbena is an easy-to-care flowering plant that does not need special care. They prefer sunny positions with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and tolerate drought well but prefer regular watering once or twice a week depending on sun exposure and the pot’s size.
If you grow them in containers, make sure that the substrate is well-drained and water the plant as its surface dries.
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