Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata, occurs
broadly in piedmont and mountain areas of Virginia and in a
few counties in the coastal plain. Growing 2-6 feet tall,
clusters of many pencil-like spikes of small five-petaled
flowers grow at the ends of the branches. The flowers bloom
a few at a time, advancing toward the pointed tip. The stem
is grooved and four-sided. This species can be found in
moist thickets, meadows and roadsides, growing best in
well-drained soil. The Narrow-leaved Vervain, Verbena
simplex, is not as showy as Blue Vervain because it
grows only about half as tall and its spikes of
flowers occur singly (or in threes) at the tip of the stem
or branches. As its name implies, this species also has
narrower leaves. It occurs more commonly in the coastal
plain than does the Blue Vervain.
White Vervain,
Verbena urticifolia
is common in nearly every county in Virginia. Its spikes
of small white flowers are very slender; the stems are
usually hairy, with egg-shaped and coarsely toothed leaves.
Blue, White, and Narrow-leaved Vervains are
tall and/or erect species. In contrast, Verbena
canadensis (Glandularia canadensis) has a
prostrate and spreading growth form. It has been found
growing wild in only 3 counties in Virginia: James City,
Surry, and Virginia Beach. In nature, the color of its
flowers typically ranges from pink to purple, but red and
white-flowered variants are available in garden centers.
These showy flowers are borne in wide, rounded clusters.
All verbenas are heat and drought
tolerant, attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.
Non-native verbenas such as V. bonariensis can be
invasive.
Native Americans and 19th
century physicians brewed a leaf tea from V. hastata as a “female tonic”; Cotton Mather recommended a decoction
with honey as a remedy for consumption.
Written by Helen Hamilton, president of the John Clayton
Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society
