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Netanya Sadoff
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For a graceful, yet sturdy, plant that attracts pollinators of all types and blooms reliably through most of the summer, consider Verbena hastata. The small, stacked blue-violet flowers begin to form in early summer, soon after the plant’s lacy foliage has spiked from the soil. Its other common names include blue verbena, swamp verbena and simpler’s joy.
Like its related species in the Verbenaceae family, blue vervain features clusters of small flowers; in
this case, they form spikes, pointing upward like candlesticks. The color of blue vervain is unique: ranging from light periwinkle to violet. Most other native Verbena spp. have white, pink or lavender flowers. This and some other verbenas are larval host plants for the common buckeye butterfly and the verbena moth.
Pollinators include other butterflies and moths, hummingbirds, some wasps, flies and beetles, as well as long- and short-tongued bees, bumblebees, honeybees, and the verbena bee, a specialist
pollinator. A long-lived nectar and pollen source, blue vervain blooms into early fall.
The blue-violet shade of the flowers pairs well in the garden with yellow and orange blooms, such as zinnias, nasturtiums and marigolds. Native plants with similar growing conditions work well, too, including coneflowers, asters, rudbeckias and tickseed (Coreopsis). To protect from rabbit nibbling, consider adding alliums or mint family plants to the mix.
Blue vervain has a tall, elegant form, making it an attractive anchor plant at the back of a border or massed in swaths in a naturalized garden. It can serve similar purposes in vases—either complementing showier cut flowers, bunched in a single-species display, or as a small bouquet or single stem in a bud vase. Flowers open from the bottom to the top, a few at a time.
Aside from occasional rabbit consumption, blue vervain is relatively pest-resistant. Other mammals avoid it, and healthy plants have no serious insect or disease issues. It thrives in soils of all types—from alkaline to acidic, and clay to sand, if adequately watered. Salt-tolerance is moderate. Light requirements range from full sun to partial shade.
Blue Vervain flowers up close. Source: Getty Images.
A short-lived perennial or biennial, blue vervain easily self-seeds, generally assuring it will continue in a garden area after it is established. To collect seeds for later planting, bag seed heads to capture ripening seeds or cut dried seed heads, remove seeds and plant elsewhere. Seeds can be direct sown in the fall or winter before snowfall, stratified indoors and then planted in pots for transplanting or sown outdoors after the last frost.
Seeds need sunlight to grow, so they should be planted with no or very light cover. While delicate and graceful in appearance, blue vervain is a tough, reliable, adaptable grower with a flower color that is unusual and beautiful.
This article originally appeared in the Mar/Apr edition of Northern Gardener Magazine.
Beth Stetenfeld is an organic gardener, native-plant enthusiast and garden blogger and writer. She’s also a master naturalist volunteer and instructor.
The post Plant Profile: Blue Vervain appeared first on Northern Gardener.
Description and ecology
Like its related species in the Verbenaceae family, blue vervain features clusters of small flowers; in
this case, they form spikes, pointing upward like candlesticks. The color of blue vervain is unique: ranging from light periwinkle to violet. Most other native Verbena spp. have white, pink or lavender flowers. This and some other verbenas are larval host plants for the common buckeye butterfly and the verbena moth.
Pollinators include other butterflies and moths, hummingbirds, some wasps, flies and beetles, as well as long- and short-tongued bees, bumblebees, honeybees, and the verbena bee, a specialist
pollinator. A long-lived nectar and pollen source, blue vervain blooms into early fall.
Blue Vervain in the Garden
The blue-violet shade of the flowers pairs well in the garden with yellow and orange blooms, such as zinnias, nasturtiums and marigolds. Native plants with similar growing conditions work well, too, including coneflowers, asters, rudbeckias and tickseed (Coreopsis). To protect from rabbit nibbling, consider adding alliums or mint family plants to the mix.
Blue vervain has a tall, elegant form, making it an attractive anchor plant at the back of a border or massed in swaths in a naturalized garden. It can serve similar purposes in vases—either complementing showier cut flowers, bunched in a single-species display, or as a small bouquet or single stem in a bud vase. Flowers open from the bottom to the top, a few at a time.
Aside from occasional rabbit consumption, blue vervain is relatively pest-resistant. Other mammals avoid it, and healthy plants have no serious insect or disease issues. It thrives in soils of all types—from alkaline to acidic, and clay to sand, if adequately watered. Salt-tolerance is moderate. Light requirements range from full sun to partial shade.
Blue Vervain flowers up close. Source: Getty Images.
A short-lived perennial or biennial, blue vervain easily self-seeds, generally assuring it will continue in a garden area after it is established. To collect seeds for later planting, bag seed heads to capture ripening seeds or cut dried seed heads, remove seeds and plant elsewhere. Seeds can be direct sown in the fall or winter before snowfall, stratified indoors and then planted in pots for transplanting or sown outdoors after the last frost.
Seeds need sunlight to grow, so they should be planted with no or very light cover. While delicate and graceful in appearance, blue vervain is a tough, reliable, adaptable grower with a flower color that is unusual and beautiful.
Blue Vervain at a Glance
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Native Habitat: Habitats include moist meadows, woodland edges, wetland borders and low prairies throughout North America.
Size: 2 to 6 feet tall; 1 to 2½ feet wide.
Site: Prefers full to partial sun, moist conditions and silt/loam to clay soils; will tolerate sandy soils with adequate moisture.
Propagation: Seed requires cool- to cold-moist stratification. Sow seeds in fall, winter or spring—on top of soil; seeds need light to germinate. To propagate from cuttings, place short stem cuttings in rooting medium and transplant after a few weeks.
Cultivars and Other Species: : Several other Verbena species are also native to Minnesota, including V. stricta, V. bracteata, V simplex, and V. urticifolia. The larger family is Verbenaceae. V. hastata cultivars include ‘Blue Spires’, ‘Rosea’ and ‘Alba’.
This article originally appeared in the Mar/Apr edition of Northern Gardener Magazine.
Beth Stetenfeld is an organic gardener, native-plant enthusiast and garden blogger and writer. She’s also a master naturalist volunteer and instructor.
The post Plant Profile: Blue Vervain appeared first on Northern Gardener.