Verbena stricta, Hoary Vervain, Quart pot
Verbena stricta, Hoary Vervain
FS, Zone 3, blooms July - August, 3’ x 1’, medium dry to dry, sandy to loam, deer resistant.
This prairie plant likes well-drained soil. I’s considered a short-lived perennial, but it readily spreads by seed, not by its roots. The plant is widely distributed across most of the U.S. and you may see it in old fields or pastures. The blooms last 6-8 weeks and small mammals depend on the seeds it produces.
Native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths and Soldier Beetles are attracted to this plant. Whenever you see this type of bloom with small florets, it is usually a good plant for pollinators. Hoary Vervain is no exception. Some specialist bees like Long-Horned, Leafcutter, Green Sweat Bees and Cuckoo Bees visit Hoary Vervain for pollen.
Most other pollinators come for the nectar. It is a preferred plant for butterflies and moths. Syrphid flies resemble bees to deter predators but are really flies. Bee flies forage for nectar using their long mouth parts. Flowers develop from the bottom upwards. Host plant for Verbena and Fine-Lined Sallow Moths and for the Common Buckeye Butterfly.
Verbena stricta, Hoary Vervain
FS, Zone 3, blooms July - August, 3’ x 1’, medium dry to dry, sandy to loam, deer resistant.
This prairie plant likes well-drained soil. I’s considered a short-lived perennial, but it readily spreads by seed, not by its roots. The plant is widely distributed across most of the U.S. and you may see it in old fields or pastures. The blooms last 6-8 weeks and small mammals depend on the seeds it produces.
Native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths and Soldier Beetles are attracted to this plant. Whenever you see this type of bloom with small florets, it is usually a good plant for pollinators. Hoary Vervain is no exception. Some specialist bees like Long-Horned, Leafcutter, Green Sweat Bees and Cuckoo Bees visit Hoary Vervain for pollen.
Most other pollinators come for the nectar. It is a preferred plant for butterflies and moths. Syrphid flies resemble bees to deter predators but are really flies. Bee flies forage for nectar using their long mouth parts. Flowers develop from the bottom upwards. Host plant for Verbena and Fine-Lined Sallow Moths and for the Common Buckeye Butterfly.
Verbena stricta, Hoary Vervain
FS, Zone 3, blooms July - August, 3’ x 1’, medium dry to dry, sandy to loam, deer resistant.
This prairie plant likes well-drained soil. I’s considered a short-lived perennial, but it readily spreads by seed, not by its roots. The plant is widely distributed across most of the U.S. and you may see it in old fields or pastures. The blooms last 6-8 weeks and small mammals depend on the seeds it produces.
Native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths and Soldier Beetles are attracted to this plant. Whenever you see this type of bloom with small florets, it is usually a good plant for pollinators. Hoary Vervain is no exception. Some specialist bees like Long-Horned, Leafcutter, Green Sweat Bees and Cuckoo Bees visit Hoary Vervain for pollen.
Most other pollinators come for the nectar. It is a preferred plant for butterflies and moths. Syrphid flies resemble bees to deter predators but are really flies. Bee flies forage for nectar using their long mouth parts. Flowers develop from the bottom upwards. Host plant for Verbena and Fine-Lined Sallow Moths and for the Common Buckeye Butterfly.