← Bedfellow

Blue Vervain

Verbena hastata

Blue vervain sends up candelabra spikes of violet-blue flowers over moist meadows and stream edges, blooming for months and feeding many bees and butterflies. A vertical accent for rain gardens; seeds feed birds. The seed has been roasted and ground into a flour (pinole), and the leaves make a tea substitute.

Family

Verbenaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

biennial

Height

2–6 ft

Spacing

1–2.5 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist, wet

Soil pH

neutral, acidic

Bloom

June, July, August, September

Bloom colors

blue, purple

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~11 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY