Scientific Name:
Verbena bonariensis
Pronunciation:
vur-BEE-nuh boe-nar-ee-EN-siss
Common Name:
purpletop verbena
Family Name:
Verbenaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Stems wiry stiff, 4-angled; leaves opposite, sessile, oblong-oblanceolate, up to 15cm long x 3.5cm wide, margins serrate; florets mauve-purple in cymose clusters at tips of a long, branching peduncle.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
South America (Brazil to Argentina)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Perennial border, Summer interest, Tall background
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus include V. 'Lollipop'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Oblanceolate, Oblong
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Hastate, Truncate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Tubular
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Purple
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Nut
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, nutlets
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Mildew (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
