Purple Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

verbena bonariensis

Today we are going to talk about one of the types of verbena known for being a very lively plant and striking for its flowering. This is the purple verbena. Its scientific name is verbena bonariensis and it is quite famous for its ability to attract butterflies and other insects to your garden. This greatly benefits the reproductive quality and the expansion of the plants, since they will be able to pollinate more quantity.

If you like flowers with dual functionality, the verbena bonariensis it's yours. Do not miss this article in which we will explain the functions that this plant will fulfill in your garden and how you should take care of it to get the most out of it.

Key features

Characteristics of the Verbena bonariensis

This plant has other common names such as it is Patagonian verbena, Buenos Aires verbena and purple verbena. The first two names indicate the zone and the range where they can be found.

It is a species native to Argentina and Brazil and belongs to the Verbenaceae family. It has very striking characteristics such as the color of its powerful flowers. It can reach between the meter or meter and a half in height when it has reached its maximum growth. Its leaves are quite small and elongated, although it has a few also on the stems of the branches. What really stands out about this type of plant are the flowers.

As it develops, it creates numerous flower stalks that barely have leaves. Being less dense in the area of ​​the bush, it is perfect for planting other plants with similar vivacity and mixing them together. They can make a good combination with tulips o nazarenes. You can also plant the occasional small shrub at its base.

If you do a double height planting, you can get a much better mix that will make your garden more attractive and decorative. Purple verbena is quite harsh to the touch and may die in winter if temperatures remain low for much of it. They do not resist the cold well.

As for its attractive flowers, as its common name indicates, they are purple and have inflorescences that are capable of attracting butterflies. They bloom during the summer and part of the fall, although now we will look at this in more detail.

Blooming purple verbena

Pollination of purple verbena

Flowering takes place at the crown of the stems. As we have mentioned before, they hardly have leaves that make their bearing very dense. This makes your flowers really stand out. Such purple or purple flowers They contain a sweet and delicious nectar that attracts especially butterflies and other insects.

When the plant is in full bloom, it is incredible to see how beautiful the garden can be, surrounded by butterflies and other insects craving the nectar of the verbena bonariensis. The insects will take advantage of it to consume and pollinate other plants that you have in the garden. Therefore, this plant has a double functionality. The first, is to decorate your garden with the beautiful flowers that bloom in the summer and part of the fall. The other function is to pollinate the rest of the plants and attract insects to promote the development of all plants.

Being a lively plant, it will be able to bloom every year. It has a life of more or less 4 years, so we can enjoy about 4 blooms until it starts to look wilted. If winter temperatures have not been too cold, flowering can extend from early spring to early fall.

Reproduction and uses

Decoration with purple verbena

These are fairly easy plants to reproduce since they have a high growth rate. If we want to multiply it, it is as simple as taking the heads of some flowers that are somewhat stale and tapping them. By giving it, we can see that small balls appear that are the seeds.

We do this with enough flowers to be able to collect some seeds. We introduce them into the substrate and water gently. After a while, we can see a new verbena plant growing. By having such a high growth rate, you can combine the festivals that begin to die of old with the new ones and have the garden always just as colorful.

They are often used to decorate mixed borders, rockeries and borders. Being not very dense in the part of the bush, it allows to see through the massifs. They can also be used in other ways such as cut flower for decoration of bouquets or dried flower to keep them in the living room for a long time. It is quite versatile when it comes to serving as a decoration.

Caring for the verbena bonariensis

Gardens decorated with Verbena bonariensis

In order to enjoy this plant to its maximum splendor, we will need to guarantee certain care. Among its main requirements needs full sun exposure. If the climate where you plant it is colder, you should know that can withstand frost down to -10 degrees, but not for a long time or very continuous. It is a plant that prefers warm climates.

As for the ground, they are not demanding on the quality of the soil or its composition. The soil simply needs a good sewer system. We do not want the soil to be flooded, but we want the plant to die. You have to water it with a small amount of water, but on a regular basis. If there are warmer times and a slight drought, there will be no problems because it has great resistance.

To optimize its growth and flower coloring, you can fertilize it once a year in the autumn time with organic material so you can recover from the flowering season and another in early summer with a supply of mineral fertilizer. It is not a plant that needs pruning, since it is not dense at all. What we must watch out for is its spread. By attracting so many insects, their ability to multiply is great and can lead to them becoming invasive. They are quite resistant to pests and diseases, so it does not present problems.

I hope this information helps you learn more about the Vervain bonariensis.


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  1.   Francisco said

    The note is very complete! Thanks! I live in the countryside, in the province of Buenos Aires. I have had the most beautiful surprise to find a few of these flowers lost in the middle of the field. I will try to get the seeds to be able to introduce them to the garden that surrounds the house.
    Can it be transplanted directly? Greetings!

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Francisco.

      It is best to try to get seeds, either from a nursery or from sites like ebay or amazon.

      Think that in many places it is not allowed to extract plants from their natural environment, since we could risk putting them in danger of extinction.

      Greetings.

  2.   samuel magne said

    Thanks for the info!!!!!!

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Thanks to you, Samuel.

  3.   samuel magne said

    they are genixs !!!!!!

  4.   Celia said

    This plant must be pruned in winter? As you say, it is not thick but since the stems are so long, it is spreading, I am afraid that when I cut it, it will not have flowers again next spring ...