Verbena bonariensis - Annual Purple Top Vervain

Height: Plant Height: 24 inches. Sun: full sun. Hardiness zone: 5a.

Ornamental features

Tall Verbena features airy clusters of purple flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the stems from early summer to late fall, which emerge from distinctive fuchsia flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape

Tall Verbena is an open herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Recommended for: Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

Tall Verbena will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.