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Verbena stricta

hoary vervain

Verbenaceae Central North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Verbena stricta is an upright herbaceous perennial growing 1-4 feet (30-120 cm) tall and 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) wide, with stout stems that are usually unbranched below the flower spikes. The whole plant is densely covered in soft gray hairs, giving the gray-green, sessile, sharply toothed leaves a hoary appearance. From early summer into fall it bears upright spikes of small, five-lobed blue-violet to purple flowers that open a few at a time from the bottom upward over many weeks. The flowers draw bees, butterflies, and other insects, and finches eat the seeds that follow. It is native to dry prairies, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed ground across central North America, where it grows on lean, well-drained soils. It tolerates heat, drought, and poor soils and self-seeds freely, sometimes becoming weedy in overgrazed pasture. Livestock and deer usually avoid the bitter, hairy foliage. In rich or moist soil it grows taller and may need support, and it is suited to sunny, dry sites rather than fertile borders.

Native Range

Native to central North America, from the Great Plains and Midwest east to the Appalachians and from southern Canada south to Texas. It grows in dry prairies, pastures, fields, roadsides, and disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in prairie and meadow plantings, pollinator gardens, and low-water borders on lean soils. It combines with grasses, coneflowers, and other prairie perennials in full sun. The long bloom and drought tolerance suit naturalized and restoration plantings rather than rich formal beds.

How to Identify

Recognized by stout, gray-hairy stems and gray-green, sessile leaves with sharply toothed edges, the whole plant looking hoary or felted. Slender upright spikes carry small, five-lobed blue-violet flowers that open in a ring moving up the spike. The dense gray hairs and stalkless leaves separate it from blue vervain, which has smoother, stalked leaves and branched flower clusters.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Summer Fall

Blooms from early summer into fall, often June to September. Small blue-violet flowers open a few at a time in a band that moves up each spike over several weeks. Seeds form behind the flowering band and ripen through late summer and fall.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue-violet to purple

Foliage Description

gray-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 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 Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun on dry, well-drained soils, including clay, loam, sand, and rocky ground, across a pH of about 6.0-8.0. It is drought-tolerant once established and needs no supplemental water in most settings. Hardy in USDA zones 3-8, it withstands heat, cold, and poor soils. Rich or moist soil produces taller stems that may flop, while lean dry soil keeps growth sturdy. It self-seeds readily, so removing spent spikes before seed ripens limits unwanted spread. No fertilizer is needed.

Pruning

Cutting the spent flower spikes back encourages a second flush of bloom and reduces self-seeding. Plants can be cut to the ground in late winter before new growth begins. Removing seed heads early limits spread on disturbed ground.