Verbena (pronounced ver-BEE-nah) is a popular garden plant due to its ease of growth, low maintenance, and heat tolerance. There are more than 250 species. Most grown in home gardens are hybrids, Verbena x hybrida. A long-time favorite cultivar is ‘Homestead Purple,’ which stands alone as a groundcover or works well as a spiller in a container combination. Other cultivars are available with flowers of pale pink, hot pink, bright red, white, peach, and the occasional bi-color.
Verbena x hybrida has a long blooming period and large flowers consisting of flat-topped clusters of individual florets. Plants are cold-hardy in zones 9 and warmer. Elsewhere they are enjoyed as annuals but may return in cooler zones after a mild winter, especially if planted in a protected area. Hybrids are easy to find in nurseries and big box stores. Plant forms range from tall and thin to low and spreading. The upright forms do well in borders, while the trailing forms make an attractive groundcover or hanging basket. They pair nicely with Summer Snapdragon, Angelonia.
Verbenas enjoy full sun and well-drained soil. Plants are drought tolerant. Do not overwater or roots may rot. Butterflies and other pollinators love the flat flower clusters, while deer rarely nibble them. Verbenas tend to flower at the ends of their stems, so by mid-season plants may have a middle with few or no flowers. Gardeners can prevent this tendency toward legginess with an occasional pruning of a few stems. No deadheading is necessary but removing spent flowers will keep the plants looking neat and will encourage more blooms. Superbena® Verbenas, from Proven Winners™ have been bred to resist the powdery mildew that occasionally plagues older cultivars, with increased drought tolerance.
Verbena bonariensis, commonly called Brazilian Verbena or Verbena on a Stick, is a tall variety that can reach up to four feet or more. Its appearance is markedly different from the flat, spreading form of Verbena x hybrida. Its small lavender flowers are held at the top of long, thin stems while its narrow leaves are clustered near the ground. It is a short-lived perennial, grown as a reseeding annual. It has escaped cultivation and spread across the southeastern states, earning a place on the invasive lists in NC, SC, GA, AL, FL and LA. I grow this one in my pollinator area, and while it does spread around a bit, I would consider it aggressive but not invasive.
Verbena hybrids are good plants for new gardeners. They look wonderful planted in masses.
This newly planted container pairs a hot pink hybrid Verbena with pink Pentas and a pink Euphorbia ‘Shades in Pink.’ This combination will tolerate heat and not demand daily watering except on the hottest of summer days.
This brilliant purple Verbena is ‘Enduro Purple,’ an improvement over the old ‘Homestead Purple’ cultivar. Photo by Jim Robbins, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Tall “Verbena On A Stick,” Verbena bonariensis.