Garden verbena

Sun

Full sun; aim for at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then when the soil surface begins to dry. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells, but containers need more frequent watering.

Soil

Well-drained soil of moderate fertility; use free-draining potting mix in containers. Avoid heavy, persistently wet ground.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m), depending on variety

Flowers

Late spring to autumn, often until the first frost; white, pink, red, purple, lavender or blue-purple, sometimes with contrasting eyes or two-coloured petals.

Foliage

Green, opposite leaves with toothed or lobed edges and a slightly rough or hairy surface.

Growth

Fast; usually reaches flowering size within one growing season.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   1 ft (0.3 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant out after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed.
• Space plants for their mature spread so air can circulate through the foliage.
• Water at soil level, wetting the root zone without leaving it waterlogged.
• Feed container plants with a balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate; avoid excessive nitrogen.
• Apply a thin mulch around bedding plants, keeping it away from their crowns.

Pruning. Remove spent flower clusters if flowering slows; some modern varieties need little deadheading. In midsummer, trim leggy stems back by about one-third, then water and feed lightly to encourage fresh growth.

Late winter

Sow seed indoors according to the packet instructions, allowing roughly 10-12 weeks before your expected last frost.

Spring

Gradually harden off young plants, then plant outside after frost danger has passed.

Late spring

Check moisture regularly as roots establish, especially in baskets and small pots.

Summer

Feed container plants and remove spent flowers where needed; inspect for mildew and mites.

Midsummer

Trim sprawling or sparsely flowering plants by about one-third to encourage another flush.

Late summer

Take non-flowering stem cuttings if you want to keep a particular plant through winter under frost-free cover.

Autumn

Remove plants killed by frost; keep any overwintered cuttings in bright, frost-free conditions with restrained watering.

• Trail over hanging baskets and window boxes, mixed with calibrachoa or sweet alyssum.
• Edge sunny paths and flower beds with compact varieties for a low band of summer colour.
• Plant in groups at the front of a border beneath taller salvias and ornamental grasses.
• Use a single flower colour repeatedly through patio containers to link separate seating areas.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Pollinator garden, Modern courtyard, Small-space, Pastel border and Hot border.

Plant it with: Calibrachoa, Sweet alyssum, Annual salvia, Petunia, French marigold and Blue fescue.

Wildlife: Flowers attract butterflies and bees. Pollen and nectar availability varies among varieties.

• Powdery mildew causes a white coating on leaves: give plants full sun and good spacing, avoid drought stress, and remove badly affected growth.
• Spider mites cause pale stippling and fine webbing in hot, dry conditions: rinse leaf undersides and use an insecticidal soap labelled for the pest if needed.
• Aphids gather on tender shoots: wash them off with water or treat persistent colonies with an appropriate insecticidal soap.
• Root or crown rot develops in waterlogged soil: improve drainage, keep crowns clear of mulch and discard rotting plants.

Garden verbena is not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people, and no particular part is recognised as poisonous. Specific safety data are limited, so do not treat it as edible; eating plant material may still cause stomach upset.

• Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)

  Also has trailing stems and rounded flower clusters, but develops woody stems and has strongly scented, wrinkled leaves; it may produce dark berries.

• Moss verbena (Glandularia tenuisecta)

  Has much more finely divided, fernlike leaves than the broader, toothed or lobed leaves of most garden verbenas.

• Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

  Produces small purple flower clusters on tall, stiff, branching stems rather than the low, spreading growth and larger flower clusters of garden verbena.

The botanical epithet hybrida means hybrid, referring to the plant's mixed parentage.

Propagation. Grow from seed or take softwood stem cuttings in spring or late summer. Seedlings may not match the parent, and some varieties produce little viable seed; cuttings retain the parent's characteristics. Check propagation restrictions before multiplying protected varieties.

Accepted botanical name

Verbena hybrida

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.