A Stormburst of verbena blossoms, butterflies awaits your pollinator garden

Spring has been incredible at my house, and I am absolutely thankful for the Superbena Stormburst verbena. Swallowtails and hummingbirds came really early this year, not only in Georgia but throughout the Southeast.

So while I have been waiting for lantanas, salvias, agastaches and cupheas to reach the blooming stage, the Superbenas came roaring back as if they were juiced on steroids. The runners are long, deep green and bearing huge blooms. Eastern Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtails along with hummingbirds have been making them part of their daily nectaring ritual.

This is my third consecutive season for the Superbena Stormburst, and it seems they’ve only gotten better through the years. You may have heard the old saying: Give your perennials that third year. I guess I better confess, mine are all growing in containers. In some ways, that is even more remarkable.

Twenty-five years ago, I began my Mississippi State University horticulture career trialing verbenas as part of the Mississippi Medallion Award program. It was a joint venture at first with the Texas A&M System, and we were looking at the old heirloom varieties that had stood the test of time, along with new selections too. The trials never had any selections with flowers as large as the Superbena series.

The trials taught us an important aspect of verbena growing: to cut back to keep the growth in a regenerative state. New runners means new flowers. Should they look tired or stop growing, cut back. Should those dastardly spider mites flare on you, just cut those little buggers out and start new growth.

What does Stormburst look like? Proven Winners calls it a silver and white bicolor. It is a pleasing, subtle blue within each individual white blossom. Stormburst and the new Whiteout have blooms that are enormous.

You’ll agree Proven Winners nailed it, as Superbenas are perfectly named. The flowers are huge, many times approaching the size of a tennis ball. The plants are a vigorous 12 inches tall with a spread of 30 inches, and they’re made to bloom. In addition to 11 Superbenas, you find five selections under the Superbena Royale collection that are a little more compact, spreading only 24 inches.

To find the most success, select a site in full sun with well-drained soil. Wet, winter, soggy soil is the enemy that can prevent a spring return. Plant nursery-grown transplants this spring at the same depth they are growing in the container, spacing 12 to 18 inches apart. Water to get established, but then sparingly, as dictated by the weather.

The verbena responds to feeding every four to six weeks with a light application of a slow-release fertilizer, which is very important to time with the cutting-back process.

Most of the country will grow Superbenas as annuals, but those of us in Zone 8 and warmer may find this to be a dazzling perennial. You may be asking what can you do with a Superbena, and the answer would be anything you want. You will have just added a new plant in your Monet-like arsenal of flowers.