Verbena is a diverse and captivating genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae, encompassing around 250 species native primarily to the Americas and Europe. Ranging from low-growing, spreading ground covers to tall, airy, border perennials, verbena offers an extraordinary range of garden forms and uses that have made it one of the most popular and widely grown flowering plants in gardens across the temperate and subtropical world. Whether grown as annuals, perennials, or tender perennials treated as annuals in cooler climates, verbenas consistently deliver outstanding ornamental value throughout the growing season.
The flowers of verbena are characteristically small, tubular, and five-petaled, arranged in dense, rounded or flat-topped clusters that create a bold, colorful display far greater than the scale of the individual blooms might suggest. They appear in a rich and varied palette including deep purple, violet, magenta, pink, red, white, and soft lavender, with many varieties featuring a contrasting eye at the center of each flower that adds additional visual depth and interest. Verbenas are exceptionally long-blooming plants, with most varieties flowering continuously from late spring through the first frosts of autumn without interruption.
Also verbenas are exceptionally valuable ecological plants that provide vital nectar and pollen resources for a remarkable diversity of pollinators throughout their long flowering season. Butterflies are particularly attracted to verbena — especially the tall, airy Verbena bonariensis — while bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects visit the flowers enthusiastically throughout summer and autumn. This combination of long-lasting beauty, easy cultivation, versatility, and outstanding wildlife value makes verbena one of the most rewarding and ecologically responsible choices available to gardeners everywhere.
Types of Verbena Shrubs
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Verbena bonariensis is arguably the most elegant and widely adored of all verbena species, producing clusters of tiny, vivid violet-purple flowers atop tall, slender, branching stems that can reach four feet or more in height. Its airy, transparent quality allows it to weave gracefully through mixed borders without obscuring neighboring plants, creating a beautiful haze of purple that catches the light magnificently and attracts clouds of butterflies throughout its extraordinarily long flowering season from midsummer through autumn.
Verbena × hybrida (Garden Verbena)
Garden verbena is the most commonly grown and widely available verbena for bedding, containers, and hanging baskets, producing dense, rounded clusters of small flowers in an exceptionally wide range of colors including red, pink, white, purple, lavender, coral, and bicolor combinations. Compact and free-flowering, garden verbena blooms prolifically from late spring through autumn and is available in both upright and trailing forms, making it one of the most versatile and reliable flowering annuals for summer garden displays of all kinds.
Verbena canadensis (Rose Verbena)
Rose verbena is a beautiful, low-growing, spreading native wildflower found across the eastern and central United States, producing clusters of rose-pink to magenta flowers above deeply lobed, aromatic foliage from spring through summer. It spreads to form an attractive, weed-suppressing ground cover in sunny, well-drained positions and is notably more cold-hardy than many other verbena species, making it a particularly valuable perennial choice for gardens in transitional and cooler climate zones where other verbenas may not survive winter reliably.
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain)
Blue vervain is a tall, upright native North American wildflower that produces distinctive, slender, branching spikes of tiny violet-blue flowers that open progressively from the bottom of each spike upward throughout summer and early autumn. Growing naturally in moist meadows, stream banks, and wetland margins, it is an outstanding choice for rain gardens, pond edges, and moist border situations where its striking vertical form and valuable wildlife benefits — attracting bees, butterflies, and seed-eating birds — can be fully appreciated.
Verbena officinalis (Common Vervain)
Common vervain is a slender, upright, and somewhat understated native European wildflower with a history of medicinal, magical, and spiritual significance stretching back thousands of years to the ancient civilizations of Rome, Egypt, and Celtic Britain. It produces small spikes of tiny pale lilac flowers on wiry, branching stems throughout summer, and while not the most showy of garden plants, it possesses a quiet, delicate charm and important wildlife value, providing nectar for bees and small butterflies throughout its long flowering season.
Verbena rigida (Stiff Verbena)
Stiff verbena is a vigorous, rhizomatous perennial species native to South America that produces dense, flattened clusters of vivid violet-purple to magenta flowers on stiff, upright stems from midsummer through autumn. It spreads steadily by underground rhizomes to form impressive, weed-suppressing colonies in sunny, well-drained positions and is considerably more drought-tolerant and cold-hardy than its appearance might suggest, often surviving mild winters in temperate gardens to re-emerge with renewed vigor the following spring.
Verbena tenuisecta (Moss Verbena)
Moss verbena is a delicate and finely textured low-growing verbena species native to South America, producing a dense, spreading mat of finely divided, moss-like foliage covered in small clusters of purple, lavender, or white flowers throughout the warm growing season. Its exceptionally fine leaf texture gives it an almost feathery, carpet-like appearance quite unlike most other verbena species, and it works beautifully as a ground cover in hot, dry, sunny positions where its drought tolerance and long blooming season can be fully exploited.
Verbena peruviana (Peruvian Verbena)
Peruvian verbena is a low-growing, mat-forming species native to South America that produces brilliant, intensely colored clusters of scarlet-red flowers with remarkable clarity and vibrancy throughout the warm growing season. It hugs the ground closely and spreads to form a colorful, weed-suppressing carpet in sunny, well-drained positions, making it an outstanding choice for rock gardens, raised bed edges, and the front of sunny borders where its vivid red flowers create a striking and eye-catching display of color.
Verbena stricta (Hoary Vervain)
Hoary vervain is a tall, upright native North American wildflower found naturally in prairies, roadsides, and disturbed open habitats across the central United States, producing dense spikes of small violet-purple flowers above distinctive, soft, woolly, grey-green foliage throughout summer and early autumn. Its silvery, hairy foliage gives it an attractive textural quality even when not in bloom, and its long spikes of purple flowers are highly attractive to bumblebees, native bees, and various butterfly species throughout the summer months.
Verbena simplex (Narrow-Leaved Vervain)
Narrow-leaved vervain is a slender, upright native North American wildflower producing small spikes of delicate pale lavender to purple flowers on wiry stems above narrow, lance-shaped leaves throughout summer. While not as visually dramatic as some other verbena species, it possesses a refined and understated natural elegance that fits beautifully into wildflower meadow plantings, naturalistic garden designs, and prairie-style borders where its modest size and subtle coloring contribute quietly but valuably to the overall composition.
Verbena bipinnatifida (Prairie Verbena)
Prairie verbena is a low-growing, spreading native wildflower found across the prairies and open habitats of the central and southern United States and Mexico, producing dense clusters of lavender-purple flowers above finely divided, deeply cut foliage throughout a remarkably long growing season. It is exceptionally heat and drought tolerant, thriving in hot, dry, sunny positions with poor, well-drained soils where many other flowering plants struggle to survive, making it an invaluable choice for xeriscaping and low-water garden designs in warm climate regions.
Verbena aubletia (Large-Flowered Pink Verbena)
Large-flowered pink verbena is an attractive, low-growing native species found in the southeastern United States, producing relatively large, showy clusters of rose-pink to purple-pink flowers that are noticeably bigger and more visually impactful than the blooms of many other native verbena species. It forms a spreading, ground-covering mat of deeply lobed foliage in sunny, well-drained positions and has been used as a parent species in the development of various hybrid garden verbena cultivars that have inherited its attractive flower size and warm pink coloring.
Verbena litoralis (Seashore Verbena)
Seashore verbena is a tall, branching verbena species native to Central and South America that has naturalized widely across tropical and subtropical regions of the world, producing small, densely packed spikes of tiny violet-blue flowers on erect, branching stems throughout the warm growing season. It is a vigorous, adaptable plant that tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and thrives in coastal environments where its salt tolerance gives it a competitive advantage over less tolerant plant species in beach-side and coastal garden situations.
Verbena bracteata (Bracted Vervain)
Bracted vervain is a low-growing, prostrate native North American wildflower that spreads along the ground to form loose mats of deeply lobed, rough-textured foliage dotted with small spikes of tiny lavender to purple flowers throughout summer. It is one of the most drought and heat tolerant of all native verbena species, frequently colonizing roadsides, gravel paths, disturbed ground, and other harsh, dry habitats where its low, spreading habit and tolerance of poor conditions give it a strong competitive advantage over less resilient plant species.
Verbena halei (Texas Vervain)
Texas vervain is an upright, slender native wildflower found primarily in the southern United States and northern Mexico, producing tall, wiry spikes of small lavender-blue flowers above narrow, lance-shaped leaves from spring through summer. It is a particularly important native plant for supporting pollinators in the warm, dry landscapes of Texas and the broader Southwest, providing nectar for native bees and butterflies during the critical spring blooming period when many other flowering plants in these arid landscapes are not yet in bloom.
Superbena Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Superbena’)
The Superbena series represents one of the most impressive and successful modern developments in hybrid verbena breeding, producing exceptionally vigorous, large-flowered, and highly disease-resistant plants with a strongly trailing habit ideal for containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes. Available in a wide range of vivid colors including deep red, hot pink, purple, white, coral, and lavender, Superbena varieties are notably more heat tolerant and mildew resistant than older hybrid verbena series, making them among the most reliable and long-blooming verbena cultivars currently available to gardeners.
Lanai Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Lanai’)
The Lanai series is a popular and widely grown series of trailing hybrid verbena cultivars that produce an abundance of medium-sized flower clusters in a diverse range of colors including red, pink, purple, white, peach, and twinkle bicolor forms with contrasting eyes. With their strongly trailing, spreading habit and prolific, season-long flowering performance, Lanai verbenas are outstanding choices for hanging baskets, window boxes, and the edges of large containers where their cascading stems can trail freely and display their flowers to their full advantage.
Estrella Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Estrella’)
The Estrella series is a compact, mounding hybrid verbena series that produces neat, rounded plants covered in dense clusters of flowers in rich, saturated colors including deep purple, scarlet red, bright pink, and white throughout the entire growing season. Their naturally compact, tidy growth habit makes them particularly well suited to formal bedding schemes, container displays, and window boxes where a neat, uniform appearance is desired, and their good heat tolerance ensures they continue performing well even during the hottest periods of the summer growing season.
Imagination (Verbena × hybrida ‘Imagination’)
Imagination is one of the most popular and widely grown individual verbena cultivars, producing a spectacular, spreading mound of finely cut, deeply divided foliage covered throughout the entire season in dense clusters of vivid violet-blue flowers of a particularly rich and intense color that stands out beautifully in container and border plantings. Its unusually fine, delicate leaf texture gives it a softer, more airy appearance than most other hybrid verbena cultivars, and it is notably more tolerant of dry conditions than many other varieties in the same breeding class.
Homestead Purple (Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’)
Homestead Purple is one of the most celebrated and widely planted verbena cultivars ever introduced, discovered as a chance seedling in a Georgia garden in the 1980s and quickly recognized as an exceptional garden plant of outstanding merit. It produces a continuous, season-long abundance of rich, deep purple-violet flowers on low, spreading stems and is remarkably tough, heat tolerant, drought resistant, and disease resistant compared to most other verbena cultivars, performing reliably and prolifically in conditions that would stress or defeat less robust varieties.
Tuscany Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Tuscany’)
The Tuscany series is a sophisticated and richly colored hybrid verbena series producing large, showy flower clusters in a warm, sun-drenched palette of colors including deep burgundy, terracotta, burnt orange, soft peach, and golden yellow — colors that evoke the warm tones of the Tuscan landscape that inspired the series name. Their naturally spreading, trailing habit and good heat tolerance make them attractive choices for containers, hanging baskets, and warm-colored garden border schemes where their distinctive, richly toned flowers create a luxurious and atmospheric seasonal display.
Tapien Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Tapien’)
The Tapien series is a fine-textured, ground-covering hybrid verbena series with an unusually delicate, moss-like leaf texture that gives it a softer, more refined appearance than most other verbena cultivars. It produces a continuous carpet of small flower clusters in colors including pink, violet, lavender, and white throughout the entire growing season, and its spreading, ground-hugging habit makes it an excellent choice for ground cover applications, the front edges of sunny borders, rock gardens, and spilling attractively over the edges of raised beds and retaining walls.
EnduraScape Series (Verbena ‘EnduraScape’)
The EnduraScape series represents a significant advance in verbena breeding specifically for landscape and ground cover applications, producing exceptionally vigorous, spreading plants with outstanding heat tolerance, drought resistance, and disease resistance that allow them to perform reliably in demanding landscape situations where other verbena varieties would struggle. Available in a range of colors including pink, purple, magenta, and white, EnduraScape verbenas spread rapidly to cover large areas of ground and provide a long season of colorful, pollinator-friendly flowering with minimal maintenance requirements.
Aztec Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Aztec’)
The Aztec series is a vigorous, spreading hybrid verbena series that produces large, boldly colored flower clusters in a vivid range of colors including dark red, bright pink, purple, white, and striking bicolor combinations throughout the growing season. With their strong trailing and spreading habit, excellent heat tolerance, and good disease resistance, Aztec verbenas perform particularly well in hot summer conditions that challenge less robust varieties, making them a reliable and colorful choice for containers, hanging baskets, and sunny garden beds in warm climate regions.
Samira Series (Verbena × hybrida ‘Samira’)
The Samira series is a compact, free-flowering hybrid verbena series producing dense, rounded mounds of foliage smothered in clusters of flowers in a range of clear, bright colors including red, pink, white, violet, and eye-catching bicolor forms. Their neat, compact growth habit, good branching, and prolific flowering make Samira verbenas well suited to formal container displays, window box plantings, and bedding schemes where a tidy, uniform appearance and reliable, season-long color are the primary requirements of the planting design.
Verbena macdougalii (MacDougal Verbena)
MacDougal verbena is a tall, upright native wildflower found in the mountain meadows and open woodlands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, producing dense, elongated spikes of small violet-purple flowers on sturdy, upright stems above rough, deeply toothed foliage throughout summer. It is an important native plant for supporting pollinators in high-altitude southwestern landscapes, providing valuable nectar resources for native bees and butterflies in mountain environments where the growing season is relatively short and flowering plant diversity is more limited.
Verbena menthifolia (Mint-Leaved Verbena)
Mint-leaved verbena is an upright to spreading native wildflower found across the western United States and Mexico, producing small spikes of tiny lavender to purple flowers above aromatic, mint-scented foliage that releases a pleasant fragrance when touched or brushed against. Its aromatic foliage, which gives the species its common name, makes it an appealing sensory plant for garden paths, herb gardens, and wildlife-friendly plantings where its combination of attractive flowers, pleasant fragrance, and pollinator value can be fully appreciated and enjoyed.
Verbena plicata (Fanleaf Vervain)
Fanleaf vervain is a low-growing, spreading native wildflower found in the dry, rocky habitats and desert grasslands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, producing small clusters of lavender-purple flowers above distinctive, fan-shaped, deeply pleated leaves that give the species its descriptive common name. It is exceptionally tolerant of heat, drought, and poor, rocky soils, making it a valuable and ornamentally interesting native plant for xeriscaping, rock garden, and desert garden designs in warm, arid climate regions of the American Southwest and northern Mexico.