Woolly Verbena Verbena stricta
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ver-BEE-nuh STRIK-tah
- Description
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Hoary Vervain is a North American native wildflower in the verbena family and is sparsely found on the coast of NC but is abundant in the central part of the USA. It is found in prairies, thickets, fields and is drought tolerant, preferring medium to dry sandy, rocky or clay soils with good drainage.
Hoary Vervain is a clump-forming plant that naturalizes by self-seeding so deadhead to control spread if desired. When started from seed, it blooms in the second year, attracting butterflies and bees to its spikes of blue-purple (rarely pink) flowers. The leaves, stems and flowers have hairs giving it its common names.
Plant in full sun in well-drained soils and don't overwater. Use in a dry sunny location, in a rock garden or naturalized settings as prairies or meadows.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Verbena
- Species:
- stricta
- Family:
- Verbenaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , AZ , CO , CT , DE , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , MA , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , PA , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY Canada: ON
- Wildlife Value:
- Host plant for common buckeye butterfly and others. Various pollinators are attracted to the plant. Birds and small mammals will eat the seeds.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Easy to Grow
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- drought tolerant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Four brown nutlets are produced per flower.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Pink or blue-purple flowers that bloom from bottom to top of hairy, narrow, upright spikes up to 8 inches long. Individual flowers are 1/4 inch across and have 5 petals. Only a few are open at a time. Blooms for 6 weeks in mid to late summer.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 4 inches long and 3 inches across oval to obovate coarsely-toothed leaves are usually stalkless and covered with whitish hairs giving it a gray-green appearance. Leaves have pinnate venation and also a reticulated network of smaller veins.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Green to reddish stems have long white hairs
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Weedy
