Description
Verbena bonariensis | Tall Verbena
Tall Verbena, also called Purple Top, Purpletop Vervain, Clustertop Vervain, Slender Vervain, Pretty Verbena, and ‘The See-Through’ plant is a species which is native to South America. This tall striking heirloom is a verbena unlike any other with its 5-6 ft tall wiry, self-supporting stems that are crowned with numerous 2-3″ clusters of pinkish-purple blooms. The dark green leaves are very narrow and sparse, so the plants are remarkably light, open and airy, allowing neighboring plants to be easily seen. When planted in mass the clusters make a purple haze in a garden.
Being a short-lived perennial in zones 7+ and an annual in cooler states, Tall Verbena propagates itself by reseeding. It’s drought tolerant, hardy, has below-average water needs, and grows in a wide variety of soil types, from loam to clay. It’s ability to thrive in full sun or partial shade makes it a very easy beginner plant to grow. The blooming period is long, ranging from early Summer to late autumn. Deadheading will of course help to prolong the bloom time.
While we’ve had some luck germinating Verbena seeds with heat, humidity, and light, they typically do not like heat to start, or too much light, so to improve germination rates its best to give Verbena seeds a short cold-stratification period, or a period of variable temperature swings changing from cold nights days. This can be accomplished by putting seed trays on a cold basement floor for a day and then under warm lights for a day to mimic spring-like temperatures.
Verbena bonariensis is an irresistible nectar source for many butterfly species. You’ll find Swallowtails, Comma, Longwings, Fritillaries, Hairstreaks, Painted Ladies, Queens, Red Admirals, Sulphurs, and Checkerspots among the blooms. Hummingbirds and bees also can’t resist, while deer and rabbits aren’t fond of munching on it.
Tall Verbena is classified by herbalists as a plant with “cooling” tendencies, so verbena is commonly used for headaches or abdominal ailments, etc.
Makes a great cut flower.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 3-6 ft
Mature width: 2-5-3 ft
Hardiness zones: 7- 10
