How to Grow Verbena

Verbena easily earns a spot in my garden by checking all the boxes: easy to grow, heat and drought-tolerant; nearly year-round color; and it attracts beneficial insects, butterflies, and hummingbirds. 

The lavender clusters of star-shaped flowers provide continuous blooms in containers, garden beds, and in-ground areas. Learn how to grow verbena with these five tips.

How to Grow Verbena: 5 Tips for Growing Verbena

1. Try different varieties of verbena

Verbenas vary in size and form, so find one that suits your needs. Most varieties are grown as perennials in warmer climates or as annuals in cooler areas. 

• Purpletop verbena (V. bonariesis): stiff, 4-5 foot stems with purple flower clusters; good in the back of borders; hardy in zones 7-11.
• Vanity verbena (V. bonariesis): dwarf version of purple top verbena; well-suited to smaller gardens or containers; AAS Winner.
• Garden verbena (V. hybrida): comes in several colors; mounding trailing habit; a good choice for hanging baskets and containers; 10-20 inches tall; hardy in zones 9-11.
• Rose verbena (V. canadenis): low growing carpet-like foliage; 8-18 inches tall; hardy in zones 7-9.
• Purple verbena (V. regida): small mounding form; 1 foot tall and wide; spreads by rhizomes; hardy in zones 7-10. 
• Certain types of verbena, including Santos Purple Verbena (verbena rigida) will spread (it can be invasive, similar to mint). Grow in containers to prevent spreading.

2. Purchase transplants or start verbena seeds indoors

The simplest way to grow verbena is to find a transplant online or at a local nursery. If you can’t find a transplant for a particular variety, it is also possible to plant verbena from seeds started indoors. 

Start verbena seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before your desired planting date. Exclude light to encourage germination. Although seeds may be slow or irregular to germinate, be patient—store unused seeds in the refrigerator. 

In the low desert of Arizona, start verbena seeds indoors from June – September. 

The Arizona Annual Flower Planting Calendar helps you learn when to plant flowers in Arizona and whether to plant seeds or transplants. It’s available in my shop.

3. Plant verbena correctly

• Plant in the spring, when temperatures are reliably warm. 
• In the low desert of Arizona, plant verbena from mid-September – November.
• Choose an area with plenty of sunlight. Afternoon shade is preferred in hot summer climate areas. 
• Choose a site with well-draining, fertile soil. (Verbena tolerates poor soil but grows best in fertile soil.)
• Amend the planting area with 2 inches of compost before planting. 
• Space plants 1-2′ apart, depending on the variety. 
• Verbena grows well in slightly acidic to alkaline soils. 

4. Care for verbena as it grows

Verbena grows best with plenty of sunshine, a little neglect (not too much water), and room to spread. 

It is susceptible to blight, mildew, rot, and rust. However, most problems with growing verbena can be avoided by providing enough light, plenty of room, and letting verbena dry out a little bit between watering. 

Pests that may bother verbena include aphids, beetles, caterpillars, miners, mites, nematodes, thrips, and whiteflies. However, most types of verbena also attract many kinds of beneficial insects. Don’t be too quick to treat any pests that show up. If mites are a problem during hot, dry weather, spray off verbena with a strong stream of water. For more information about organic pest control, read this post.

5. Verbena cut flower tips

Harvest verbena for cut flowers when half of the flowers have opened. 

Verbena makes an excellent filler flower in flower arrangements. Read this post for more information about making flower arrangements from your garden.

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Sources for this article about how to grow verbena: 

The Flower GaGardener’sible by Lewis and Nancy Hill

The Old FaFarmer’slmanac Flower Gardener’s Handbook