Verbena hastata (Blue or Common Vervain)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic:

Found naturally in meadows, floodplains, and swamps (and sometimes called swamp vervain), this native* blooms throughout the summer and into autumn, longer than most other perennials. Historically thought to be a cure for many ailments, it is still used for medicinal purposes today

*It is native to DC, MD, and PA and common throughout DE. In VA, it is frequent in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. It is native to NoVA except for Arlington County.

This video shows the flowers of Verbena hastata in July and its developing seed heads and nutlets in September along with some of the pollinators and other insects that visit this plant.

Video © 2020 Mary Free

Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) stem in July.
Photo © Mary Free
Leafcutter bee on Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) flowers in July.
Photo © Mary Free
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) clump at the Sunny Garden in Bon Air Park in July.
Photo © Mary Free
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) flowers in July.
Photo © Mary Free
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) in July.
Photo © Elaine L. Mills
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in August.
Photo © Elaine L. Mills
Nutlets of Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) in September.
Photo © Elaine L. Mills
Yellow woolybear caterpillar on Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) in September.
Photo © Mary Free

Print Version (Legal Size): Verbena hastata (Blue or Common Vervain)Verbena hastata Perennial Height: 11⁄2–5 feet Spread: 1–21⁄2 feet Bloom Color: Blue to purple Characteristics Graceful, erect, clump-forming perennial Long, narrow, toothed green leaves on stout, square, hairy, green or reddish stems Small, tubular flowers with blue/violet corollas and 5 lobes on branched, candelabra-like spikes bloom in rings from bottom to top from June to October Four tiny, reddish-brown, oblong nutlets replace each flower Forms colonies by spreading rhizomes and self- seeding; not reliably long-lived Attributes Tolerates wet soil, temporary standing water, and moderate drought; no serious pests or diseases Deer seldom severely damage; cottontail rabbits may eat tender, young foliage infrequently Medicinal uses Attracts bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, and moths to the flowers and birds to the seeds; larval host for the Verbena moth Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Rich Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Water Requirements: Moist, Wet Use in borders, meadows, native plant gardens, and rain gardens and near streams and ponds Hardiness: USDA Zones 3-8 Excellent Replacement for Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife Lythrum virgatum - European Wand Loosestrife It is native to DC, MD, and PA and common throughout DE. In VA, it is frequent in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. It is native to NoVA except for Arlington County.
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: Tried and True Plant Fact Sheets