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Verbena urticifolia

white vervain

Verbenaceae Eastern and central North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Verbena urticifolia is an upright, herbaceous perennial native to eastern and central North America, found in moist, disturbed places, fields, and woodland edges. It grows 3-5 feet (0.9-1.5 m) tall on square, branching stems with opposite, coarsely toothed leaves 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long that are rough and resemble nettle foliage, behind the species name urticifolia. From summer into early autumn the stems branch into slender, candelabra-like spikes carrying many tiny white flowers, each about 0.1 inch (2-3 mm) wide, that open a few at a time over a long period. The small flowers draw bees, wasps, and other insects, and the plant readily hybridizes with other verbenas where their ranges overlap. Pollinated flowers form small nutlets that ripen along the spikes and are eaten by birds. It spreads by seed and forms loose stands rather than a tight clump. It grows in full sun to part shade on average to moist soil and tolerates a range of conditions, behaving as a weedy colonizer of disturbed ground. Drought and very poor, dry soil cut its size, and it self-seeds freely on open, moist ground.

Native Range

Native to eastern and central North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Texas. It grows in moist meadows, floodplains, thickets, woodland edges, pastures, and roadsides, often on disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in native plant gardens, rain gardens, meadow plantings, and pollinator borders on moist ground. It suits naturalized and wildlife areas where its long bloom and seed support insects and birds.

How to Identify

Identified by tall square stems, opposite nettle-like leaves with coarse teeth and a rough surface, and very slender flower spikes branching like a candelabra. The white flowers are minute and widely spaced along the spikes, opening a few at a time. The thin, well-separated spikes separate it from denser-flowered verbenas.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 5'

Width/Spread1'6" - 3'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~14 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowers open from June to September along the branching spikes. Only a few of the tiny white flowers are open at once, working up the spike over many weeks. Small nutlets form behind the flowers and ripen through late summer and autumn.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 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 Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay silt

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on average to moist, fertile soil and adapts to clay, loam, and damp ground. It is hardy in USDA zones 3-8 and needs no special care, growing quickly and self-seeding once established. It tolerates short drought but stays largest where soil stays moist. Cutting the spent stems before seed ripens limits its spread, since it can colonize freely. Division or transplanting of young plants is straightforward in spring. It needs no fertilizer on reasonable soil.

Pruning

Cut flowering stems back after bloom to limit self-seeding and tidy the plant. Spent stems can be removed at the base in late autumn or left for winter cover and bird forage. Cutting before the nutlets ripen reduces unwanted seedlings.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic