Historically, verbena has been used as an essential oil for its lemony scent and taste.
Although verbena is edible by humans, it isn’t very tasty and is mainly used as an herb.
They grow as hardy perennials, coming back year after year, in zones 8 to 11.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Learn how easy it is to grow and care for verbena.
Some types, likelemon verbena, are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
This plant requires at least six hours of sun daily; eight to 10 hours is much better.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Flowering will be much reduced in shady locations.
Verbena is not too particular about soil, except that it must be well-draining.
Heavy clay can lead to root rot, so dig in several shovelfuls ofcompostorleaf moldto lighten dense soils.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Keep plants evenly moist until established.
Soggy plants will succumb to botrytis blight, but drought-stressed plants may attractspider mites.
If grown in containers, use a water-soluble fertilizer throughout the growing season.
© Marie iannotti
For the amount of fertilizer to use, follow the product label instructions.
Types of Verbena
TheVerbenagenus has more than 250 species or lower classifications.
Herb extracts contain antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Verbena hastata (blue vervain)James St. John / flickr / CC BY 2.0
“Verbena x"or"annual verbena” distinguishes a verbena key in from the native species forms.
The varieties of hybrid verbena are identified by their unique flower colors.
These species are welcome in thebutterfly garden.
Glandularia pulchellaStephanie Harvey / flickr / CC BY 2.0
Tall varieties belong in thecottage garden, naturalized meadow, or back of the border.
Many of these plants are more upright in growth habit and may look quite different from the hybrid trailers.
Shear back verbena plants once or twice per season to keep the plants looking full and tidy.
Lemon verbenaThe Spruce / Randi Rhoades
You do not have to deadhead spent flowers, but you could if you want to encourage more blooms.
To propagate using seeds, purchase commercial seeds bred under carefully controlled greenhouse conditions.
Use any general-purpose potting mix for container planting in any well-draining container (any material will do).
Verbena bonariensis (purple top vervain)The Spruce / Lynn Karlin
you’re able to also pot up verbena growing in the ground for overwintering indoors.
Generally grown as annuals, potted verbenas usually do not require repotting.
Discard them at the end of the growing season.
Glandularia canadensisThe Spruce
Overwintering
Potted verbena can be overwintered.
you could pot up in-ground verbena by digging up the entire plant.
And giving the plants plenty of space to improve air circulation will help reduce these fungal infections.
Bloom Months
Verbenas typically bloom from May to October.
How Long Does Verbena Bloom?
The flowers last for about two to three weeks.
After they fade, the plant usually reblooms after being deadheaded.
What Do Verbena Flowers Look and Smell Like?
How to Encourage More Blooms?
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms.
Deadheading Verbena Flowers
To deadhead verbena, wait until the first set of flowers fades.
Common Problems With Verbena
Verbena plants are easy to grow and maintain.
confirm the plant receives at least six hours of sunlight.
If the sun isn’t the issue, severely prune back and feed the plant.
Pruning and feeding should stimulate thick new growth and a flush of flowering.
If they appear dark brown, it’s likely root rot.
Apply a fungicide to curb the disease.
Plant them at least 12 inches apart.
Perennial verbena will drop seeds and reseed themselves.
When grown as perennials, verbenas are relatively short-lived plants, rarely living beyond two or three years.
Some varieties are sprawling, spreading plants that can cover a good amount of an area in sunny areas.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension.
2020;86(17):1241-1257.
Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings.
North Carolina State Extension.
Verbena Seeds.Swallowtail Garden Seeds.
Verbena - Powdery Mildew.University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment.
