Verbena x hybrida
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ver-BEE-nah BY HYE-brid-ah
- Description
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Garden Verbena can be trailing to upright plants and are grown as annuals in most areas. They have moderate drought tolerance and showy flowers with a long bloom season. Trailing varieties do well in containers or hanging baskets. Upright varieties look great in a border. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers. V. tenuifolia is distinguished by pinnatifid leaves, deeply lobed with thin segments. V. canadensis is distinguished by ovate leaves that are cuneate or wedge-shaped basally and corolla lobes that are emarginate with a shallow notch.
This species is an artificial hybrid.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
Some cultivars have shown good resistance to abiotic disorder and fair resistance to phytophthora and pythium root rot (where fair is defined as less than half of the plants studied dying from the diseases). Other cultivars, however, showed a poor resistance to phytophtyora root rot and stem rot. See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aztec Dark Purple'
- 'Aztec Lavender'
- 'Aztec Pink Bicolor'
- 'Aztec Rose Pink'
- 'Enduro Purple'
- 'Homestead Purple'
- 'Lanai Blush White'
- 'Lanai Bright Eye'
- 'Lanai Candy Cane'
- 'Lanai Lavender Star'
- 'Lanai Upright Rose with Eye'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora. - 'Lascar Compact Dark Red'
- 'Magelana Plum Frost'
- 'Magelana Purple'
- 'Marie's Rose'
- 'Obsession Lavender'
- 'Obsession Pink'
- 'Phlox'
- 'Quartz Pink'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora. - 'Quartz Red with Eye'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora and pythium root rot. - 'Royal Iced Cherry'
- 'Superbena Coral Red Improved'
- 'Superbena Royale Chambray'
Shows good resistance to abiotic disorder. - 'Superbena Royale Iced Cherry'
- 'Superbena Royal Whitecap'
- 'Superbena Stormburst'
Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Superbena Violet Ice'
- 'Tapian Blue'
- 'Aztec Dark Purple'
- 'Aztec Dark Purple', 'Aztec Lavender', 'Aztec Pink Bicolor', 'Aztec Rose Pink', 'Enduro Purple', 'Homestead Purple', 'Lanai Blush White', 'Lanai Bright Eye', 'Lanai Candy Cane', 'Lanai Lavender Star', 'Lanai Upright Rose with Eye', 'Lascar Compact Dark Red', 'Magelana Plum Frost', 'Magelana Purple', 'Marie's Rose', 'Obsession Lavender', 'Obsession Pink', 'Phlox', 'Quartz Pink', 'Quartz Red with Eye', 'Royal Iced Cherry', 'Superbena Coral Red Improved', 'Superbena Royale Chambray', 'Superbena Royale Iced Cherry', 'Superbena Royal Whitecap', 'Superbena Stormburst', 'Superbena Violet Ice', 'Tapian Blue'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aztec Dark Purple'
- 'Aztec Lavender'
- 'Aztec Pink Bicolor'
- 'Aztec Rose Pink'
- 'Enduro Purple'
- 'Homestead Purple'
- 'Lanai Blush White'
- 'Lanai Bright Eye'
- 'Lanai Candy Cane'
- 'Lanai Lavender Star'
- 'Lanai Upright Rose with Eye'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora. - 'Lascar Compact Dark Red'
- 'Magelana Plum Frost'
- 'Magelana Purple'
- 'Marie's Rose'
- 'Obsession Lavender'
- 'Obsession Pink'
- 'Phlox'
- 'Quartz Pink'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora. - 'Quartz Red with Eye'
Fair amount of resistance to phytophthora and pythium root rot. - 'Royal Iced Cherry'
- 'Superbena Coral Red Improved'
- 'Superbena Royale Chambray'
Shows good resistance to abiotic disorder. - 'Superbena Royale Iced Cherry'
- 'Superbena Royal Whitecap'
- 'Superbena Stormburst'
Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Superbena Violet Ice'
- 'Tapian Blue'
- 'Aztec Dark Purple'
- 'Aztec Dark Purple', 'Aztec Lavender', 'Aztec Pink Bicolor', 'Aztec Rose Pink', 'Enduro Purple', 'Homestead Purple', 'Lanai Blush White', 'Lanai Bright Eye', 'Lanai Candy Cane', 'Lanai Lavender Star', 'Lanai Upright Rose with Eye', 'Lascar Compact Dark Red', 'Magelana Plum Frost', 'Magelana Purple', 'Marie's Rose', 'Obsession Lavender', 'Obsession Pink', 'Phlox', 'Quartz Pink', 'Quartz Red with Eye', 'Royal Iced Cherry', 'Superbena Coral Red Improved', 'Superbena Royale Chambray', 'Superbena Royale Iced Cherry', 'Superbena Royal Whitecap', 'Superbena Stormburst', 'Superbena Violet Ice', 'Tapian Blue'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Verbena
- Family:
- Verbenaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South America
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Some cultivars have shown good resistance to abiotic disorder.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Variegated
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- Small five-petaled flowers in rounded 3-inch clusters on the end of branches from late spring to fall. Inflorescence is a congested spike in flower, sessile, flat-topped, to 2" diameter; axes expanding as moves into fruiting.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 2-4 inch oblong toothed leaves are gray-green to dark green in color with a rough texture.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Erect to decumbent green stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
