Verbena Species, Rough Verbena, Upright Verbena, Tuberous Vervain

I live out in a rural are surrounded by wild lands. This plant grew too well and started growing and expanding too well. My research fou...Read Morend that this non native had naturalized east of here. It took 3 years to eradicate it. Those small bits of roots kept growing back. 10 years later I still got some small germination. I probably would like it better if I lived in town and did not worry about the spread in untended woods and fields.

I started this plant from seeds, relatively easy, and now I can see the personality of V. rigida! It looks like it will be a very strong...Read More and vivacious plant. I keep bees, and aim for plants the pollinators will enjoy. It has attractive tough dark green leaves and just starting to bloom--I think it will suit my N.Florida place fine. The deer have not bothered it at all (too busy eating my roses and citrus!) It needs room to spread, I think, and appreciates compost and some water until established. Who does not? The violet blue color is arresting and very attractive. Looks like a winner........

I do very much like the purple display this plant makes, which pretty much never stops, except in the dead of winter, which by the way do...Read Morees not actually do much harm to this plant in zone 8. It is indestructible once it gets started, just some dead top growth again in the winter. Now on to the reason for this post. Warning for Verbena rigida. In zone 8 this plant is winter hardy and will spread with runners (lots), suckers (again, lots), and seed (few). It is very slow to start but after the first year be prepared to mow it down all around wherever you are trying to contain it, which it really can't be contained 100%. Mine came as seed with some other wildflower seed I ordered. Prolific bloomer and holds the blooms for a very long time, leaves are sharp to the touch and somewhat serrated.

When I moved into my house, I entirely replanted the backyard, with the exception of two plants. One was a Lilac bush that I cared for w...Read Morehile everything else withered in the Albuquerque, NM summer heat. The only plant that lived, despite 8 months of no watering and the occasional attempts to uproot it, was a Verbena rigida (I had no idea what it was at the time). Since it clearly demonstrated a strong will to live, I decided to see how the plant behaved. And I've been thoroughly impressed.

The vivid purple flowers are very attractive to butterflies and bloom from mid Spring until the first hard frost. The plant is a fast-growing groundcover with a very low habit. The folliage is pretty, but is unpleasant to touch (thus "Sandpaper Verbena"). For some strange reason, my enormous Bernese Mountain Dogs love to lay on this plant, which neither seem to mind, and all parties involved spring right back. I would/will happily plant V. rigida whenever I need an attractive groundcover that doesn't need water or any special attention.