Verbena Bonariensis - A Pollinator Magnet

Endless clusters of miniature flowers splashed in purple adorn Verbena Bonariensis’ strong, airy stems. Like tiny landing pads, this classic variety of Verbena beckons pollinators and birds. Pushing upwards of more than 4 feet tall, Verbena Bonariensis is one of my favorite perennials to grow due to it’s prolific blooming habit, drought tolerance and ability to attract droves of butterflies.

Verbena Bonariensis is native to South America and has done well within the southern portion of the US as well as California. It is a perennial in Zones 7-11 and has an outstanding ability to self-seed. Because of this, it has been listed as an invasive plant in Georgia and is on the watch list in California and Washington. When we first put in Verbena, I did not realize it’s ability self-seed so aggressively and it has been an annual battle to pull up seedlings which germinate with ease, most notably in our lawn.

While the self-seeding aspect can be an annoyance, it is also helpful by having a ready supply of willing seedlings to transplant to areas of need or to share with others!

As temperatures start to warm in the spring, our Verbena rapidly ascends with first blooms normally emerging around late April-early May. Foliage is sparse and takes the form of long, thinly pointed leaves which are frequently susceptible to powdery mildew. The fungus can be controlled with my favorite organic method of neem oil applied on a weekly basis for a few weeks. No major pests are of nuisance.

Once the first blooms begin to appear, hundreds follow in succession until a hard frost.

Average height for Verbena Bonariensis is anywhere from 3 to upwards of 5 feet depending on growing location. As we have two English Springer Spaniels which love to play and chase rabbits and squirrels which visit our yard, the inevitable occurs and a healthy plant may get trampled or mangled. With this being said, Verbena Bonariensis takes well to pruning and if height is of concern, a 50% reduction in size will encourage more bushier growth and prolific blooms.

Purple-Coneflower Intermingling with Verbena

With an open-air habit, Verbena Bonariensis is ideal in the back of a landscape for color and height or left to it’s own devices as more of a focal planting. In either case, you will be astounded by it’s ability to invite bees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds to sample it’s menu. We have seen skippers, swallowtails, monarchs and brushfoots as well as American Goldfinches which forage the flower clusters for seeds as they mature. In August and September, Gulf Fritillary butterflies amass in the dozens with Verbena one of their choice nectar plants.

For full potential, Verbena Bonariensis does best in full sun and once established is highly drought tolerant. For transplanted seedlings, I normally give them a good soak for a few days and after a day or two in the sun without signs of wilt, I leave them be.

From a deadheading standpoint, I let the seedheads mature throughout the growing season as they will continue to bloom repeatedly until a hard frost. In late summer and into the winter, the plants provide food for American Goldfinches and come early spring, I give them a hard trim, attempting to prevent the scattering of thousands of seeds in the process!

And there you have it! An absolute rock star in the garden, Verbena Bonariensis will draw pollinators from miles around! Consider this carefree perennial in the south (annual in the north) for your landscape and you will not be disappointed! The pollinators will love you for it!

Do you have Verbena Bonariensis in your garden or have wanted to give it a try? I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below!

Verbena Bonariensis - A Pollinator Magnet

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