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Guide to Growing Verbana

The Verbana genus is large and contains both annuals and perennials, with a range in height from 10cm through to 1.4M.

In general they have dark green toothed leaves and bloom from summer until the first frost of winter.

When in bloom Verbana carry clusters of tiny flat flowers.

Photographs of Verbana rigida - Veined Verbana (above) and Moujean tea (below)

One of the common names of garden grown Verbana is Vervain, other commonly grown species include veined verbana and Moujean tea.

Verbani Lanai Lavender by Gailf548; Creative Commons.

Abronia latifolia - Yellow Sand Verbena by Franco Folini; Creative Commons.

Quick Verbani Growing Guide and Facts

Common Names: Vervain, Verbana, Purpletop.
Life Cycle: Hardy annual. Half hardy perennial, hardy perennial.
Height: 4 to 47 inches (120 cm).
Native: Northern America, Europe.
Growing Region: Annuals: zones 1 to 10. Perennial: zones 3 to 10.
Flowers: Late spring until first frost.
Flower Details: Blue, violet, white, purple, rose, pink. Small. Five petals. Clusters. Spikes. Fragrant.
Foliage: Simple. Opposite. Hairy. Ovate. Lanceolate. Sometimes lobed; toothed.
Sow Outside: Cover stratified seed. Following last frost. Spacing 6 to 40 inches (15 to 100 cm).
Sow Inside: Mix seeds in a growing medium, place in a freezer bag, keep moist, then stratify by refrigeration for two weeks. Germination time: two weeks to three months. Temperature 70°F (21°C). Nine or ten weeks in advance. Transplant outdoors a few weeks after the the last frost; minimum temperature should not drop below 50°F (10°C).
Requirements: Full sunlight or light shade. Good drainage. Soil pH 6 to 7. Rich soil. Can survive in dry soils. Feed in spring. Regular watering. Pinch tips. Deadhead. Perennials should be brought indoors over winter in cold areas. Propagate: cuttings in the spring.

How to grow Verbana

If growing Verbana outdoors from seeds, then sow out following the last frost of spring, then lightly cover the seed. Due to the large variety in Verbana size the spacing is species dependent, in general plant small Verbana about 20cm apart, medium Verbana at 30 to 40cm, and larger Verbana at 60cm to a metre apart. Ideally Verbana should be grown in a fertile soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6 to 7). they like to grow in sunny part of the garden, but can tolerate partial shade if needed.

If growing Verbana indoors first then sow about two months before the last frost. The Verbana seeds should first be sown into a pot; next cover with a plastic bag; put in the fridge for two weeks; then allow to germinate in the dark at a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees centigrade. Verbana seeds should take from two weeks to three months to germinate. Transplant the young Verbana plants outdoors a few weeks after the last frost of spring.

Caring for Verbana

It is pretty easy to care for Verbana plants; remove the tips of young Verbana to encourage branching; they like dry soil but water them during prolonged dry spells; give them a couple of feeds in the spring; deadhead Verbana flowers to prolong the flowering period. If you require more plants then propagate Verbana by taking cuttings; this can be done in either spring or at the start of autumn.