Tall Verbena
Verbena bonariensis
Family Verbenaceae
Tall verbena is the border's floating layer — wiry, nearly leafless stems holding small purple clusters at eye level, so you can plant it mid-bed and still see everything behind it. From summer to frost those clusters rank with the best butterfly flowers a garden can offer.
Drought barely registers, and where winters kill it, its own seedlings return in spring, drifting through a planting the way a designer would place them. Goldfinches finish the seed. Scatter it once through a sunny bed and the garden takes over the arranging.
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing tall verbena? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries tall verbena — Verbena bonariensis, print Nº 494, “Tall Verbena.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what tall verbena actually needs.
Life cyclePerennial zones 7–11, annual elsewhereTall Verbena · Common problems
Common tall verbena problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Powdery Mildew (minor)
Tall Verbena · Growing & propagation
Growing tall verbena
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
Drought-tough
Soil- Any well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- Cut back in spring; let some seed
A magical 'see-through' plant — tall wiry stems topped with clusters of purple flowers that hover airily above lower plants without blocking the view, blooming from summer to frost and mobbed constantly by butterflies and bees (it's among the very best nectar plants per square foot). Drought-proof and airy, it weaves through borders beautifully and self-sows to return even where it isn't winter-hardy. A pollinator essential.
Spacing- 18-24 in
How to plant & propagate tall verbena
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Tall Verbena · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Tall Verbena · Yearly calendar
The tall verbena year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomPruneBloomJune to August
PruneMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Tall Verbena · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Verbena bonariensis
Tall Verbena in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What tall verbena is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Use- Butterfly magnet
- Use
- See-through border
- Use
- Self-sowing
- Use
- Cut flower
Harvesting & storing tall verbena
Seeds feed goldfinches.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Tall Verbena · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a tall verbena variety
Species; 'Lollipop' (compact 2 ft)
Sources & plant identity
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Tall Verbena
Verbena bonariensis
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Verbena bonariensis
- Plant family
- Verbenaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial · Tender Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- VEBO
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
Questions
Tall Verbena questions, answered straight.
Is tall verbena safe for kids and pets?
Tall Verbena is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest tall verbena?
Seeds feed goldfinches.
How do you propagate tall verbena?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where tall verbena sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily