Verbena, Genus, canescens, Species,
- Genus & species
woolly vervain
South-central and southwestern United States
Overview
Verbena canescens is a low, spreading perennial growing 6-16 inches (15-40 cm) tall and 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) wide, with stems and foliage covered in short grey hairs that give the plant a canescent, grey-green cast. The opposite leaves are 0.75-1.5 inches (2-4 cm) long, lance-shaped to oval, toothed or shallowly lobed, and rough-hairy. Small five-lobed flowers about 0.25 inch (6 mm) wide, lavender to purple, are clustered in short spikes held above the foliage. Flowering occurs over a long season from spring into fall, heaviest after rain. The flowers give way to small dry nutlets. Growth is low and mat-forming, the trailing stems sometimes rooting where they touch soil. Native to dry limestone and gravelly soils, it tolerates heat and drought but is short-lived and can decline in humid, poorly drained conditions. Plants may die back in hard winters and regrow from the base.
Native Range
Native to the south-central and southwestern United States, including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and into northern Mexico. Grows on dry limestone outcrops, gravelly slopes, and open rocky grasslands.Suggested Uses
Planted in rock gardens, gravel gardens, and dry borders at 12-18 inch (30-45 cm) spacing. Suited to hot, dry, sharply drained sites and xeric plantings. Trails over walls and along path edges as a low, spreading cover.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'4"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Colors
Bloom Information
Flowers from spring through fall in warm climates, with the heaviest bloom following rainfall. Flowering slows in extreme heat and drought and resumes when moisture returns. In its warmest range, scattered flowers appear nearly year-round.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Lavender to purpleFoliage Description
Grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grown in full sun on dry, gravelly or rocky, sharply drained soil; established plants tolerate heat and drought. Wet, humid, or poorly drained conditions shorten its life and cause root rot. Watering is limited to dry spells, as the plant needs little once established. Light shearing after a flush of bloom encourages repeat flowering. Plants are short-lived, persisting two to four years, and renew from self-sown seedlings. Spider mites can appear on stressed plants in hot, dry sites.Pruning
Shear lightly after each flush of bloom to remove spent spikes and prompt new flowers. Cut back winter-damaged stems in early spring to the live base. Plants tolerate hard cutting back to renew straggly growth.Pruning Schedule
Prune: March
early spring
Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons
