Hoary Vervain is flowering right now alongside our Gray Headed Coneflower and Wild Bergamot. A perennial native of sunny dry locations. It is found in prairies as well as disturbed sites such as along railways in sandy soils. It's a great candidate for hot dry locations.
The 5 parted blue to purple flowers are arranged in a spike that flower from the bottom upwards. The blooms open in July and often flower into September.
The opposite arranged leaves are coarse to the touch and covered with white hairs. Hoary Vervain is a tall linear plant, reaching heights of 3 feet in years of good moisture and richer soils. It is very attractive massed together and goes nicely with Butterfly Milkweed, Gray Headed Coneflower and medium sized prairie grasses.
See map below for native range.
 |
| Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C. |
What a pretty native Heather. I will have to add this Verbena. Beautiful color.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I am going to redesign my bed along the potager. I want a range of perennials instead of waiting for annuals like zinnia with our short season. This, and the others you mention, look and sound great to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll like it Carol.
ReplyDeleteHeather
VF, It's a reliable tough perennial. If you have sandy soils I would recommend it.
ReplyDeleteHeather