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Verbena bonariensis |
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Common name |
purple-top vervain |
Family |
verbenaceae |
Life cycle |
tender perennial |
Flowers |
purple |
Size |
3' |
Light |
sun |
Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
From seed  |
Give several weeks cold, then germinate at room temperature detailed seed-starting info below
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Seed ripens | early November |
We grow this tender perennial as an annual - it blooms in summer from seed started mid-spring. The plant has an airy look to it, so that it can be put in the foreground of a border despite its height.
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| Up close, you can see the flowers are really two-toned, with burgundy tubes and lavender flared-out petals. |
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We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston. One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Verbena bonariensis
Visitors to this page have left the following commentsMarilyn Vos | Oct 27, 2008 | Verbena Bonareinsis - I feel it is Brazilian - and I love it - but this year I see the name Finesse also - is there only ONE Verbena and does it just have another name I did not know about? Verbena Bonareinsis is not perennial by us but it is wonderful with other flowers and very striking but if there are two kinds I have to be sure I get the right one again this year - can you help me? Thanks. 'Finesse' is one of the named cultivars of Verbena bonariensis. I've only ever grown the plain species. |
Linda | Mar 05, 2009 | Where can I order these seeds from you & if so, how much, in a hurry, but can't find an order link. I love anything Verbena. We have one of the fragrant bushes & love it. Does this flower smell like the fragrant bush? Thanks Please use the links at the bottom of these pages to get in touch with me. |
Rosemary | Aug 18, 2009 | I have a handful of these in my garden and although it is classed as a'tender perennial' i have had mine for many years and it has survived the hardest of
frosts and heavey snowfall! |
Irena Montuori, Guelph, ON., Canada | Sep 14, 2009 | This Verbena is a must if you want butterflies, hummingbirds or birds in your garden, not to mention it is fragrant. It makes spectacular show if planted in masses. It self seeds where I live, that is Guelph, Ontario, Canada. I've grown it for number of years and do absolutely nothing, just let them drop the seeds in late fall and new plants appear in spring. Great Site Rob! Love the photographs! |
Felicity Lukace | Jun 16, 2010 | Hello; I am a proffessional gardener in Lindsay Ont. and I am preparing a clients home for a sept wedding and can not locate Verbena bonairiensis anywhere in this area so far. A grower was suppose to start them but did not. Any thoughts? I am getting desparate and would appreciate some input if you have any. Thank you in advance, felicity V. bonariensis is known for self-seeding strongly. If you can tie into the local gardening scene, you can probably identify gardeners who have more of them than they really need. So it is for me, but I decided long ago not to ship plants by mail... |
Paige | Jun 29, 2010 | I had a wonderful crop of Verbena Bonariensis for several years(a garden gift from a neighbor) and then last year, none of them came back. Any idea why? They seemed really prolific for a while, coming back in full force each year and blooming all summer - I loved them. They sat above everything else and gave a really nice touch to the garden. I don't know, Paige. Mine behave as they used to for you: coming back every year, slowly at first, then really stretching out in early summer. I think occasionally one survives winter, but most of ours are seedlings; did you use Preen or some other weed germination strategy this spring? |
joseph rudwick | Sep 06, 2011 | im sure u can pot them up before the first frost and leave them in doors till the last frost have past as with most tender perenials |
Heather | Oct 30, 2011 | Have you guys ever come across pink or white variants of this fabulous plant? When I saw the name Finesse, I got all excited thinking it would be a radically different color... |
Debbie | Aug 28, 2015 | Hi! I have an unusual questions about V.B. Finesse. I've planted it for years from 1gal pots in different locations. This is the first year that it seemed "distorted". The flowers did not bloom as usual. I have a relationship with the grower and they have not experienced it with any other clients or even the plants left over in the greenhouse. What could it be?? The flowers have a brownish hue to them and look smaller. Any ideas? I sure don't - but perhaps somebody else swinging by here will have an idea. |
Zuzana | Feb 10, 2016 | Hi,I love VB and would love to get it this summer.would you be able to sell plants to me?
I can drive and pick them up...I'm from Oakville and have hard time to find a grower
I would be so happy if you do:-)) |
- Seed from '03 trade. Baggy 35F(4w) - 70F (75%G, 3d)
- Seed from '04 garden. Baggy 35F (30d) - 70F (21d; 46%G, 3d) - 70F with light (14d; no further G)
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Last modified:
July 09, 2008
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