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Native Plant Highlight! Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Writer: Marisa PrevattMarisa Prevatt

Today’s post highlights the Verbena hastata, also known as Blue Vervain. I don't know about you but whenever I hear "Vervain" it brings my back to the days of watching The Vampire Diaries LOL. "Vervain is used to stop vampires from compelling humans. Its negative effects on vampires are a result of Nature's attempt to create a weakness for every strength that a vampire gained after being turned." Where are my vampire diary fans at? ;) I digress back to reality and the actual plant I am blogging about, Blue Vervain a Michigan native beauty.

Blue Vervain - July 2020

I purchased two of these plants from a local Michigan native plant sale last summer. They were almost bloomed out and small in size. Not knowing exactly how tall they got I opted to plant them in the back portion of our front yard garden. Blue Vervain has a wonderful vertical structure and beautiful unique purple/blue blooms that start in July and last through September.

Blue Vervain will attract many pollinators including bees, wasps, hummingbirds, and butterflies. It is also a host plant for caterpillars of the Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia.

Size reference photo. I am 5'3" tall ;)

Surprisingly these plants over tripled their height since last year! To show how tall they actually are I posed with one LOL. I am standing next to it and it's almost as tall as me! Planting them in the back of the garden was a good choice and one that I would recommend in this type of garden setup. They would also make a great center plant for a free-standing round or "island" garden. The individual plants are biennial but may colonize slowly by rhizomes from the fibrous root system to create a perennial presence, in ideal conditions (see details below). Overall, this plant is a unique and beautiful addition to our pollinator garden. I love its great height and beautiful purple flowers. It's a perfect "backdrop" plant for our front yard garden.

Top view of the flower structure

Details:

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil Moisture: Medium, Moist, Wet

Sun Exposure: Full Sun

Height: 3' - 6'

Bloom Color: Purple, Blue

Bloom Time: July, Aug, Sep

Spacing: 1'

Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Root Type: Fibrous

Benefits: Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Host Plant, Deer Resistant




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In March 2017, with populations plummeting 90 percent in the past 25 years, the Rusty Patched bumble bee (B. affinis) became the first bumble bee ever added to the U.S. Endangered Species List.

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