Verbena hastata
Blue Vervain
NJ Ecotype (grown from seed)
Herbaceous perennial; 2-5’ tall
Bluish-purple flowers bloom in progression from bottom to top of flower spikes; blooms late summer to early autumn
Attracts pollinators such as skippers, moths, cuckoo bees, halictid bees, and Calliopsis nebraskensis, the Verbena Bee, a specialist miner bee which only collects pollen from Verbena species; also attracts beneficial predatory insects such as the thread-waisted wasps and soldier beetles
Host plant to the Verbena Moth and Common Buckeye
Sparrows, cardinals and juncos eat the seeds in fall/winter
Thrives in moist conditions, making it a great species for rain gardens
Spreads via seed dispersal and rhizomes; does not tend to spread aggressively, especially in meadow settings
Blue Vervain
NJ Ecotype (grown from seed)
Herbaceous perennial; 2-5’ tall
Bluish-purple flowers bloom in progression from bottom to top of flower spikes; blooms late summer to early autumn
Attracts pollinators such as skippers, moths, cuckoo bees, halictid bees, and Calliopsis nebraskensis, the Verbena Bee, a specialist miner bee which only collects pollen from Verbena species; also attracts beneficial predatory insects such as the thread-waisted wasps and soldier beetles
Host plant to the Verbena Moth and Common Buckeye
Sparrows, cardinals and juncos eat the seeds in fall/winter
Thrives in moist conditions, making it a great species for rain gardens
Spreads via seed dispersal and rhizomes; does not tend to spread aggressively, especially in meadow settings
Blue Vervain
NJ Ecotype (grown from seed)
Herbaceous perennial; 2-5’ tall
Bluish-purple flowers bloom in progression from bottom to top of flower spikes; blooms late summer to early autumn
Attracts pollinators such as skippers, moths, cuckoo bees, halictid bees, and Calliopsis nebraskensis, the Verbena Bee, a specialist miner bee which only collects pollen from Verbena species; also attracts beneficial predatory insects such as the thread-waisted wasps and soldier beetles
Host plant to the Verbena Moth and Common Buckeye
Sparrows, cardinals and juncos eat the seeds in fall/winter
Thrives in moist conditions, making it a great species for rain gardens
Spreads via seed dispersal and rhizomes; does not tend to spread aggressively, especially in meadow settings
Details
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Blue, Purple
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Late summer to early fall
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2-5’
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Medium, Wet
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Full, Partial
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Verbena Moth
Common Buckeye -
FACW - usually occurs in wetlands, but can occur in non-wetlands
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30 days of cold stratification; requires light for germination