Purple Top Verbena, Verbena bonariensis, Annual , 4” pot

Purple Top Verbena, Verbena bonariensis

Annual, may reseed, FS, WD, average moisture, blooms July-September, 5’ x 2’

Purple top Vervain sports elegant 5-6′ stems, crowned by 2″ regal globes of vibrant purple flowers that thrive in heat and bloom from July to October. It rises from low clumps of dark green, lance-shaped leaves that allow adjacent flowers to flourish and be seen. This is why it’s sometimes called “The See-Through Plant.” Purple top is therefore an ideal filler plant in mixed beds, and creates a sweet purple haze when massed in a garden. It’s a fast growing annual, needs full sun for full height and is drought tolerant. It makes an ideal cut flower and mingles beautifully with other tall border plants. Purple top stems are woody enough to not require staking. It is hardy, growing in a wide variety of soil types, from loam to clay.

Purple top Verbena is an irresistible nectar source for many butterfly species and long-tongued bees. Who loves Purple top nectar? You’ll find different kinds of Swallowtails, Skippers, Fritillaries, Hairstreaks, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Sulphurs, and Checkerspots among the blooms. Hummingbirds are also attracted and your garden party will be complemented by birds like Goldfinches and Cardinals, who love to snack on Purple top seeds. The seeds are also eaten in small amounts by such songbirds as the Slate-Colored Junco, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and White-Crowned Sparrow.