Propagating Homestead Verbena
- Rooting Cuttings in Water. The simplest way to propagate verbena may be to root the plants in water. The Gardeners'...
- Cuttings Rooted in Potting Soil. Cut off stems straight across directly above a leaf node. Dip the stems in rooting...
- When Verbena Helps Out and Roots Itself. If your plant is very leggy and the stems are straggling along...
How do you plant verbena in pots?
Plant verbena with at least six inches of space between each plant to ensure good air circulation. Amending the soil with organic matter, like compost or peat moss, will improve soil drainage and fertility. Place the flowers no deeper in the soil than their depth in the nursery container.
How to take care of verbena?
1 Light. Plant verbena in full sun. ... 2 Soil. These plants like fairly dry soil with an acidic pH. ... 3 Water. Keep plants evenly moist until established. ... 4 Temperature and Humidity. Planted as annuals hybrid verbenas perform suitably in virtually any climate, but may decline in the hottest period of the summer. 5 Fertilizer. ...
What kind of soil does Verbena like?
These plants like fairly dry soil with an acidic pH. Verbena is not particular about soil, except that it must be well-draining. Heavy clay will lead to root rot, so dig in several shovelfuls of compost or leaf mold to lighten your soil.
How do you collect verbena seeds?
To collect verbena seeds, allow a few of your plant’s flowers to die off naturally on the stem. The flowers should be replaced by small brown seed pods.
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Does Homestead verbena spread?
The plants have a low spreading form and will flower profusely all summer. Creeping stems often root into the soil or mulch. Plants are tolerant of heat and drought, although best growth will occur with plenty of water and fertilizer. Like most verbenas, they need excellent soil drainage.
How do you plant verbena?
PLANTING & CARING FOR VERBENALoosen the soil in the planting area to a depth of 6-12”.Remove the plant from the nursery pot and loosen roots if potbound.Set plant in the hole with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil.Backfill the hole with soil and tamp down lightly to remove air pockets.More items...
Do Homestead verbena come back every year?
Homestead verbenas have a long blooming season as long as you prune them says The National Gardening Association. After the first flush of bloom fades – you don't need to wait for every flower to die back – cut the entire plant back by half.
Is Homestead Purple verbena annual or perennial?
perennialVerbena canadensis 'Homestead Purple' is a low, vigorous, spreading perennial plant with rounded clusters of deep purple flowers. Its glossy foliage is mildew resistant. Verbena canadensis 'Homestead Purple' is very long blooming, flowering from late spring to middle fall.
Can verbena be planted in the ground?
Verbena plants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. While some have an upright growing pattern, there are several that stay very short and spread quickly by creeping along the ground. These varieties are great for groundcover, and will fill in an empty space very fast with delicate, low foliage and bright flowers.
When should you plant verbena?
springThe best time to plant verbena bonariensis when you're planting them directly in soil would be in early spring.
Should you deadhead Homestead verbena?
Verbena plants benefit from regular trimming, and deadheading can encourage new flower growth.
What do you do with verbena in the winter?
In colder regions, protecting the roots with a generous mulch of straw or well-rotted manure will protect them from frost. Cut back Verbena bonariensis and other perennial verbenas in spring, removing the old stems of as new shoots start to show at the base of the plant.
Should you cut back verbena?
Verbena can be pruned throughout the growing season to maintain a consistent look. Do not cut back more than one-third of the plant. Verbena can recover from a slight trim, but removing more could stunt the growth. Clean your pruning shears or scissors before and after use to prevent the spread of bacteria or fungus.
Can verbena survive winter?
Things You'll Need. Fuchsias, geraniums and verbena are all tender perennials, meaning plants that are not cold hardy. If left on their own in most gardens, they'll be killed by the first hard frost, and you'll need to replace them again in the spring.
Why is my Homestead verbena not blooming?
Not enough sunlight is usually the problem when Verbena plants do not bloom, and the solution is easy: just move the plant to a sunny spot. Verbena plants need room to spread out, and if grown in too small of a container, the plant may fail to bloom.
Is Homestead verbena evergreen?
It is evergreen in zones 7 - 10 and may be grown as an annual in other climates. Thriving in full sun, in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils, this plant will self seeds in ideal growing conditions.
Does verbena do better in pots or the ground?
It does not like dense substrates, which retain moisture in winter. Lemon verbena needs draining, rather poor soil. Verbena bonariensis and hastata are excellent plants for naturalistic gardens or perennial beds, while hybrid verbenas are best planted in window boxes, pots, hanging baskets, or borders.
How do you keep verbena looking good?
0:421:35Verbena Care - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBe sure to choose well-drained soil well-drained soil a weekly watering should suffice.MoreBe sure to choose well-drained soil well-drained soil a weekly watering should suffice.
Is verbena easy to grow?
Verbena plants also tolerate midsummer drought and baking heat with little complaint, making it the ultimate easy-care flower.
How long does it take for verbena to grow?
They can take a long time to flower, with some requiring as many as 90 days, so be patient while waiting for these beauties to open up. Start your seeds indoors about ten weeks or so before the last freeze date. Sow a few seeds per cell or container, and prepare to wait as long as three weeks for them to germinate.
What zone is homestead purple verbena?
Rose verbena (Verbena canadensis), or vervain, is a perennial that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 10.
What soil conditions do homestead purples grow in?
Homestead Purple is heat and salt tolerant and grows in a variety of soil conditions including clay, loam, sand and shallow, rocky soil. It is also tolerant of pollution and will grow in your garden or as a container plant.
How long does homestead purple flower last?
In optimal conditions, Homestead Purple lives approximately three years, reaches a height of 12 inches and spreads 18 inches, notes Calloway's Nursery. Star-shaped purple flowers bloom starting in the late spring until cold weather hits in the fall. It displays green leaves throughout the season, and although it does have fruits, they are inconspicuous.
Can verbena be planted in containers?
Established verbena are drought tolerant but avoid allowing the soil to dry out for the first few weeks after planting the verbena. Verbena that are grown in containers will need more water than those planted in your garden, as the soil will dry out more quickly.
Is purple verbena a perennial?
This purple verbena is a perennial, although in colder climates, gardeners may plant it as an annual. It prefers full sun but can grow in a variety of light conditions including deep shade with less than two hours of direct sunlight per day, notes North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
How to kill verbena plants?
Unpotted verbena will likely be killed off by the first hard frost (when temperatures dip well under freezing) unless you pot it by digging up the plant by its root ball. Here's what to do: If potting, cut back the plant to less than half of its size. After digging it up, trim roots by half, as well.
How are hybrid verbenas identified?
The various varieties of hybrid verbena are identified by their unique flower colors. There are notable selections:
What is a verbena x hybrida?
Most of the Verbenas widely used as bedding plants or low trailers in containers are named cultivars derived from hybrid crosses of various native verbena species. You often will see these labeled as " Verbena x hybrida", "Verbena x" or " annual verbena" to distinguish them from the native species forms.
What is hybrid verbena?
Hybrid annual verbenas are consistent bloomers often potted or used as garden bedding plants, planted in masses, or as front edging plants where the sprawling habit is put to good use.
How to grow a self seeding plant?
Here are the easy instructions: Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours prior to planting. Plant the seeds in starter trays filled with a peat-based potting mix, pressing the seeds lightly into the mix.
How tall does a V hastata grow?
V. hastata (blue vervain) is a North American native that grows to 6 feet tall with purplish-blue flowers. It is hardy in zones 3 to 8.
When does V. tenuisecta bloom?
V. tenuisecta (moss verbena) has delicate, lace-like foliage and grows to 5 or 6 inches. They bloom during late summer and early fall and are hardy in zones 7 to 9.
What type of soil does Verbena thrive in?
Soil: Verbena thrives in soil amended with compost, but can adapt to many soil types as long as there is good drainage. Compacted or clay soil can lead to root rot.
How tall is a verbena plant?
Garden verbena ( V. x hybrida ), with a mounding or trailing habit, is the type most commonly grown. Plants can reach 6-18” tall and 12-30” wide. Hardy in USDA zones 8-11, this tender perennial is most often treated as an annual. Dozens of varieties come in a range of flower colors. Popular for hanging baskets, window boxes, container gardens and landscape beds.
What color are verbena flowers?
Verbena flowers come in an array of cheerful hues including red, pink, apricot, lavender, purple, blue, white and bicolors. Clusters of small star-shaped flowers on mounding, trailing or upright plants are complemented by green lanced-shaped leaves with finely toothed edges.
How tall does a purple verbena grow?
Purpletop verbena ( V. bonariensis ), also known as tall verbena, is an upright form with purple flowers. Hardy in USDA zones 7-11, plants grow 3-6’ tall and 1-3’ wide. Highly attractive to butterflies and other pollinating insects, the open airy form makes this useful as a background or structural plant.
What zone do verbenas grow in?
Most are grown as annuals, but some common types are hardy in USDA zones 7-11.
How to set a plant in the hole?
Set plant in the hole with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil.
When does verbena bloom?
When grown in optimal conditions, annual verbena can bloom continuously from the time of planting until the first hard frost. Perennial types flower from summer into fall.
How tall is a verbena plant?
There are also tall verbena varieties ( Verbena bonariensis ), also called Brazilian vervain or purpletop vervain. Plants are 4- to 5-feet-tall, usually grown as an annual, and have 2-inch clusters of flowers on slender but sturdy stems.
How far does a trailing verbena spread?
A trailing verbena characterized by a multibranching growth habit, spreading up to 3 feet to create a dense low-growing carpet of blooms. Also highly mildew resistant and thrive under a wide range of weather conditions.
Why is my verbena flowering?
One of the most fuss-free flowering plants you can grow, verbena suffers from few pest or disease problems. When issues do arise, they are usually caused by lack of enough sunlight or poorly drained soil. Here are some stress signals to look for and potential solutions.
Why are my verbenas leggy?
Leggy plants and sparse flowering are often a result of too much shade. Move your verbenas to a spot in the garden where they get 6 or more hours of sun. Verbenas recover well after transplanting, so don't hesitate to relocate your plants to a better location. Powdery mildew is the most common problem seen in verbena.
What is lemon verbena used for?
Its leaves give off a lemony scent when rubbed and are widely used in aromatherapy products, perfume, medicine, and as a culinary herb.
What color is the verbena?
The purple flowers on this verbena stand out from the others with icy-white eyes. For a different take on the purple and white color scheme, try Superbena Stormburst, which has pale violet flowers with distinctive white stripes.
When does blue vervain bloom?
Mainly known for its use as a medicinal herb, blue vervain ( Verbena hastata) grows 2 to 6 feet tall and blooms July to September. In the wild, it forms colonies with slow-spreading rhizomes and self-seeds.
Plant of the Week: Verbena, Homestead Purple
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture does not promote, support or recommend plants featured in "Plant of the Week." Please consult your local Extension office for plants suitable for your region.
Plant of the Week
Perennials have captured the hearts of gardeners throughout the nation. Hundreds of new plants have appeared in our gardens in the last decade, including Homestead Purple verbena. It’s such an outstanding plant that it was selected as an Arkansas Select plant for 2001.
How to propagate verbena?
Verbena can be propagated both by cuttings and by seed. If you want to be sure you get a genetic copy of the parent plant, you should grow from cuttings, as verbena seeds don’t always grow true to type.
How to collect verbena seeds?
To collect verbena seeds, allow a few of your plant’s flowers to die off naturally on the stem. The flowers should be replaced by small brown seed pods. Remove the pods by hand and place them in a dark, airy place to dry for about a week.
How to grow a sage plant from a cutting?
Take a cutting that’s 3 inches (7.5 cm.) in length and has no flowers on it. Remove all but the top one or two sets of leaves. Stick the cutting in a small pot of moist, gritty, well-draining growing medium. Keep the soil moist by covering the whole pot in a plastic bag.
Can verbena be propagated?
And that’s all there is to verbena propagation. Now you can grow more of this plant so there will be some handy anytime you want for its ornamental beauty or herbal use.
Is verbena a good plant?
Useful in cooking and teas and wonderfully fragrant, verbena is a great garden plant to have around. But how do you get more of it? Keep reading to learn more about common propagation methods for verbena plants.
When does a purple verbena bloom?
Cover your bases with these gorgeous purple flowers. Verbena 'Homestead Purple' blooms from mid spring to mid fall. Verbena 'Homestead Purple' blooms from mid spring to mid fall. Fast-growing verbena ‘Homestead Purple’ ( Verbena canadensis) makes for a sprawling groundcover that appreciates full sun. Well-drained soil is a must.
Is Verbena canadensis good for containers?
Well-drained soil is a must. Gorgeous in containers and borders, verbena also may naturalize and can be used for eros ion control. Gardeners in USDA Zone 6 or colder grow ‘Homestead Purple’ as a long-blooming annual. Butterflies find its vibrant purple flowers hard to ignore.
How to grow verbena in a nursery?
Plant verbena with at least six inches of space between each plant to ensure good air circulation. Amending the soil with organic matter, like compost or peat moss, will improve soil drainage and fertility. Place the flowers no deeper in the soil than their depth in the nursery container.
Why do verbenas grow on mounds?
Mitigate this problem by planting verbena on a mound, to increase circulation and soil drainage. The soil where verbena is planted must drain well.
Cultivation
Prevention
- After choosing a sunny area of your landscape, make sure your soil has adequate drainage for your verbenas. Heavy clay will lead to root rot, so dig in several shovelfuls of compost or leaf mold to lighten your soil.
Culture
- Keep plants evenly moist until established, when they can tolerate some dry spells. Verbena is somewhat drought tolerant, and it certainly does not do well in boggy conditions, but you must not underwater it either. Soggy plants will succumb to botrytis blight, but drought-stressed plants will attract spider mites. Water verbena as you might your lawn, with an inch of rain or irrigation eac…
Climate
- Annual verbena may decline quickly when summer weather turns hot and humid. In warmer climates, perennial verbenas may grow better than the annual form.
Benefits
- All verbenas benefit greatly from regular deadheading. This not only removes the seed heads that signal the plant to rest but also helps to keep sprawling plants in their place in your landscape. If you have a large planting of low-growing verbena, you can accomplish this quickly with a string trimmer.
Risks
- Verbena is vulnerable to a range of houseplant pests. Some, such as leafminers, are just an annoyance, but others (aphids, spider mites, scale, mealybugs, whiteflies, and thrips) can wreak havoc on your plants if you don't take steps to control the infestation. If your verbenas show signs of insect pest infestation, you will have to weigh your desire to use an insecticide with your desir…
Flora and fauna
- All types of verbena are welcome in the butterfly garden. Tall varieties belong in the cottage garden, naturalized meadow, or back of the border. A companion planting of bronze fennel with tall verbena is the perfect way to support a butterfly's life cycle, as swallowtail butterflies like to feed on the bronze fennel foliage, and the adults are nourished by the nectar-rich verbena flowers.
Uses
- Verbena plants are available in a variety of heights and a range of colors that cover the pink, red, and purple spectrum. All of the plants bear clusters of shallow flowers that butterflies find irresistible. Many plants have lacy or needle-like foliage. Verbena plants have a rich history in herbal medicine and are still used as a remedy for digestive ills and insomnia.