VERSATILE VERBENA
It’s not just pretty, it has many practical uses
Plants that inject the garden with colour and movement without taking up too much space, are always useful. so the recent surge in the popularity of
Verbena bonariensis is no surprise. this short-lived perennial, which seeds itself around the garden, is a graceful mass of violet flowers atop tall thin stems; and bees and butterflies love it. But it is by no means the only verbena (commonly known as vervain) worth growing.
there are both annual and perennial forms of vervain. Both used to be grouped under the latin name Verbena, but now the popular annual bedding types are classified as Glandularia. the lesser-known perennial forms, however, are still classified as Verbena, and there are lots of these you can add to the herbaceous border.
as well as V. bonariensis, there is the attractive V. hastata, which has upright candelabras of lavender flowers on waist-height stems. It is available in a wonderful pink form and a white form, and is hardier and longer-lived than V. bonariensis. another tall border verbena is ‘lavender spires’, which, like most verbenas, is visited by butterflies. It’s a willowy upright plant, with very open plump lavender-blue flower spikes.
If you don’t want so much height, there are shorter options. For example
V. officinalis var. grandiflora ‘Bampton’, which has purple foliage and tiny pink flowers, is more compact at 2ft (60cm). there are dwarf forms of V.bonariensis called ‘lollipop’ and ‘little One’, and even smaller still is the ankle-height
V. rigida, which produces a non-stop show of violet-purple blooms.
In the border, these verbenas serve to create a lightweight mood. too many solid perennials and shrubs can make a garden look dense and heavy; the effect of adding airy plants such as Dierama, Knautia and Verbena is an instant lightness that lifts the scene. the likes of V.bonariensis and V.hastata have slender stems that create a ‘see-through’ veil, allowing you to glimpse the plants behind, forming beautiful layers in the border. Because they are ‘see-through’ plants, they do not have to go right at the back, but can be dotted through the middle of the border to create depth.
the taller verbenas create upright accents in the border. they naturally combine well with grasses such as
Miscanthus and Echinacea.
Plant some of these gorgeous verbenas now to ensure late summer and early autumn colour, and fill the garden with bees and butterflies.
“You can dot them through a border”