Tall Vervain Verbena bonariensis

Tall Verbena or Brazilian Vervain is a tall upright plant considered a "pop-up" plant or "see-through" plant. It fills in vertical space in the perennial border but allows plants behind it to be seen. Its clusters of tiny lavender blooms persist early summer till frost and butterflies and bees love them. Yellow finches will visit them for the seeds.

Tall verbena is native to South America but has naturalized in the United States, from North Carolina to Florida, and west to Texas. 

The plant is a tender perennial and is hardy from zones 7 to 11. In cooler climates, it is considered an annual. In some areas, it is considered a weed where it has been naturalized. It tolerates a variety of soil types and from average to dry conditions and full sun. They will spread by volunteer seedlings, but unwanted seedlings are easy to pull out.

Rounded clusters of small purple flowers, that measure 2 to 3 inches in diameter, appear on long wispy or airy stems. Each flower is about a 0.25-inch purple tube. The leaves are primarily at the base of the plant and form a mounded rosette of green, lance-shaped leaves with serrated margins. 

Consider this plant for a border or flower bed or use in a rock garden, cottage garden, or naturalized in a meadow. 

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom: Summer and Fall       Foliage:  Spring, Summer, and Fall

Quick ID Hints:

• perennial up to 2 to 5 feet tall with wispy, wiry, tall stems from
• foliage at the base of the plant with green, lance-shaped leaves with serrated margins
• rounded clusters of purple flowers measuring 2 to 3 inches in diameter
• each bloom is a purple tube measuring 0.25 inches in length

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  This plant has no serious insect or disease problems although powdery mildew can occur.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.