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Verbena canescens

woolly vervain

Verbenaceae

South-central and southwestern United States

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 7–10

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

Recognized by low, grey-hairy stems and foliage with a canescent grey-green cast, set with opposite, toothed leaves 0.75-1.5 inches (2-4 cm) long. Lavender to purple five-lobed flowers about 0.25 inch (6 mm) wide form short spikes above the foliage. Stems trail and may root where they touch the ground.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 1'4"

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~20 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

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 purple

Foliage Description

Grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

rocky sand loam chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

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

early spring