In the hot climates of the sub-tropical and tropical Americas, Verbena flourishes. But in cooler, wetter climates, they tend to be grown as annuals, which has historically meant they received little attention. That is changing rapidly. Treated as annuals in our cooler climate, verbenas provide rich color in summer and well beyond.
- ☀️ Sun Requirements: Must be grown in full sun for optimal blooming.
- 💧 Soil: Needs fairly humus-rich, moisture-retentive, but well-drained soil (not water-logged).
- ✂️ Maintenance: Pinch out young plants to encourage branching. Take stem cuttings in late summer to overwinter.
- 🏆 Most Popular: Verbena bonariensis for tall, see-through borders.
Why Verbena Bonariensis is a Garden Favorite
Verbena bonariensis has become immensely popular in recent years, and at one point, there wasn’t a fashionable garden around without a smattering of these tall, purple flower-headed plants.
Originating from South America (as its name suggests, from Bonaria or Buenos Aires), it can grow up to two meters tall by September. It features rigid, upright stems that are sparsely foliated, giving it a unique “see-through” look. By dusk, the flowers look as if they are magically suspended in the air. Because it never hides other plants, it can be used in a wide variety of border situations.
Verbena bonariensis will over-winter in mild southern gardens, provided it is grown in well-drained soil, and it will readily self-sow. It flowers in its first year, meaning it can easily be grown as an annual in colder northern areas.
Trailing Varieties and Mixed Borders
The shorter trailing verbenas have long been popular bedding plants, perfectly suited to containers and hanging baskets. A lot of modern breeding has gone into Verbena x hybrida and Verbena rigida (Award of Garden Merit winners).
Verbenas tend to have intensely colored, compact flower heads. The plants are fairly tough, with stiff, often hairy stems and leaves that can withstand a fair amount of abuse. Best of all, they aren’t favored by snails or slugs.
Verbena x hybrida will produce stems up to one meter and looks spectacular spreading through the lower branches of white roses or other shrubs. If you are looking for classic varieties for mixed borders, Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’ AGM and Verbena ‘Silver Anne’ AGM are excellent choices.
What the Plant Specialists Say
“Verbena bonariensis has to be the best-seller – you can sell plant after plant. The problem with Verbena is that although it is relatively hardy in the South, most won’t make it through a hard winter. A fairly new variety is Verbena ‘Homestead Purple’, which is hardy in the South and marginally hardy in the Midlands. It is effortless to take from cuttings and has perfect purple flowers. Most people don’t know much about Verbena and tend to think of it as an annual, whereas it is a short-lived perennial.”
“Verbena is a very showy summer plant that is used mainly in hanging baskets or as bedding, but they can be grown in the front of a summer border. The main thing is that it is not winter hardy, so if people want to keep growing it, they should take cuttings in September. Tip cuttings are easiest, and with a little hormone powder, they strike very easily.”
“Verbena bonariensis is by far the most popular, partly because it gets a lot of press, but mainly because it’s a highly beneficial plant. We also sell Verbena hastata, Verbena triphylla (Lemon Verbena), and Verbena rigida. To give you an idea of how popular it is, we grow 30 Verbena hastata and 300 plants of Verbena bonariensis. Other species are simply not showy enough for most buyers.”
Top Verbena Species and Cultivars
Whether you need a towering background plant or a low-growing groundcover, there is a verbena for your garden. Here are the standout cultivars:
- Verbena bonariensis: Reaches 2 meters high with upright, branching stems and lilac-purple flowers from mid-summer to early autumn.
- Verbena corymbosa: Features a spreading, rhizomatous habit with erect stems and deep red-purple flowers.
- Verbena hastata: An upright, clump-forming plant offering violet-blue, pinkish-purple, or white flowers.
- Verbena x hybrida: Usually grown as annuals. Cultivars include ‘Imagination’ (violet-blue for baskets), ‘Raspberry Crush’ (pink), and ‘Blue Moon’ (lavender with a white edge).
- Verbena ‘Lawrence Johnston’ AGM: Spreading habit with cardinal red flowers borne in large corymbs in summer.
- Verbena officinalis: Best for the herb garden, producing tiny lilac or pale pink flowers.
- Verbena peruviana: A fast-growing, mat-forming semi-evergreen with rich scarlet flowers. (‘Alba’ produces white flowers).
- Verbena rigida ‘Polaris’: Forms dense clumps with pale silver-blue flowers from early summer to early autumn.
- Verbena ‘Silver Anne’ AGM: Sweetly scented flowers that start bright pink and fade to silver-white, creating a multi-tonal effect.
- Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’ AGM: Mat-forming with dark green leaves and magenta-pink flowers from late spring to autumn.
- Verbena tenuisecta (Moss Verbena): Features thin, finely cut leaves with lilac, mauve, or blue flowers.
The Magic of Hardy Verbenas
Whether a novice or a seasoned veteran, almost every gardener is familiar with the cheerful and nearly indestructible annual verbena. Nevertheless, many gardeners are still not acquainted with hardy verbenas. These long-blooming, agreeable perennials are surely some of the hardest-working, least demanding plants ever to inhabit a garden border.
Although most verbenas are native to the warm-winter areas of the Western Hemisphere, many new varieties are hardy as far north as Zone 5 or 6. Extremely vigorous, a hardy verbena can expand to cover a 4- to 6-foot area in a single season! Some varieties take root along their creeping stems, but hardy verbenas do not self-seed, so they never become invasive bullies.
They are exceptionally versatile in the landscape. Ranging in height from 1 to 12 inches, they make an excellent groundcover around taller shrubs. They can be used as a “weaver,” tying together various plants in a border. Verbena is also outstanding when planted over spring-blooming bulbs, as its airy mat allows bulbs to poke through easily while disguising their untidy fading foliage later in the season.
Try planting purple or pink verbena with lavender, catmint (Nepeta), Shasta daisies, or roses. Red verbena looks incredible next to bright green ornamental grasses or soft salmon-colored daylilies. Pest- and disease-free, their extravagant blooms and sturdy disposition make them a must-have for any low-maintenance landscape.
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