Verbena bonariensis; Tall, Slim and Attractive

Verbena bonariensisVerbena bonariensis is a very popular plant with gardeners

Verbena bonariensis is a tall, elegant plant that is semi-hardy, self seeding and perennial and provides a long flowering period.

If there was a dating agency for plants Verbena bonariensis would have no trouble finding love!

This attractive, tall, upright perennial has become very popular amongst gardeners in recent years. Verbena bonariensis provides instant height in the garden, growing to a maximum 2 metres in a single growing season. It has a habit of dressing revealingly; very few lance-shaped leaves clasp to the upright stems.

From July to October, tiny purple-lilac flowers are produced in dense, pompon-like clusters on branched stalks above the almost naked stems.

Verbena bonariensis is not reliably hardy to a proper UK winter, withstanding temperatures down to about –5C. You don’t have to worry too much about this though, Verbena bonariensis is a very fertile plant, self-seeding all around, dropping the hardier, tougher seed ready to overwinter and germinate the following spring; more than replacing the parent plant that may have perished in the winter frosts.

Native to South America, like a tall, elegant, seasoned footballer Verbena bonariensis prefers to frequent Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. In that part of the world, Verbena bonariensis is as much a wildflower as a garden plant; found growing on fields, wasteland and roadsides.

Verbena bonariensis prefers a site in full sun and ideally on a light, but moisture retentive soil. The bare stems give an airy effect and although tall, you can see through to other plants beyond which means you do not necessarily have to reserve this tall plant for the back of the border.

 
 

Filed under Perennials.

Share this page…