Verbena hastata

Tall (3-5’) but delicate in appearance, blue vervain adds a lovely blue-violet accent to the pollinator garden in summer. Flowers bloom upon vertical spikes which are grouped in candelabra-like fashion. As new blooms replace old, flowers ascend the spikes during a long, 2-month period (July – August).

In terms of pollinator value, blue vervain is especially favored by longer tongued insects, and it is an excellent plant for attracting butterflies. Several species of songbirds have been known to consume the seeds of blue vervain, including the cardinal, swamp sparrow, field sparrow, song sparrow, and dark-eyed junco. 

This plant can tolerate periods of flooding and will grow best in sunny situations within soils ranging from wet to average moisture. During summer dry spells, blue vervain will likely require some supplemental watering. In the context of NE Ohio natural areas, blue vervain is most frequently encountered in floodplains and wet meadows. In the garden, blue vervain does a good job maintaining an upright posture and is not inclined to flop.

References: 1,2.

Photo by Ashley Keesling.