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Verbena hastata is a great wildflower addition to any garden and does especially well in sunny meadows that receive regular rainfall or flooding. The flower stalks can grow up to 5’ tall, but are very tolerant of pruning to keep a lower, shrubbier habit. The flowers are tiny but very abundant, adding a gorgeous purple-blue color that lasts for 6 weeks or more from mid to late summer. Verbena hastata has deep fibrous roots and can grow very quickly, especially in wet to moist conditions. It does not do as well in dry soils, but its roots allow it to draw deep water in the event of drought.
Verbena hastata attracts a range of small pollinators, particularly many tiny specialist bees like leafcutters and pebble bees, and is also a favorite with butterflies. The long-lived flowers mean that pollinator numbers can increase over the summer as more find this reliable food source. The seeds are also enjoyed by birds and the stalks can endure heavy winter snows, so consider leaving them until spring.
Pollinators: bumblebees, leafcutter bees, long-horned bees, miner bees, small carpenter bees, sweat bees, butterflies, moths, flower flies, beetles, grass-carrying wasps, mason wasps, scoliid wasps, thread-waisted wasps
Host Plant for Butterflies/Moths: 15+ species of moths in our region, including the Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella)
Dependent species: Verbena Moth (Crambodes talidiformis)
Wildlife Value: Songbirds, Wood Warblers, shelter
Deer Resistance: Good
Native Region: Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Seed Origin: USA nursery collected seed
Light Recommendation: Full Sun, Part-sun
Soil Moisture Recommendation: Medium-wet, Moist, Medium
USDA Zones: 3-8
States found in our region: AL, DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Other states found: AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SD, TX, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY
