Purpletop Vervain
Verbena bonariensis
- Native to:
- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay
Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Verbenaceae
- Genus:
- Verbena
- Species:
- Verbena bonariensis
- USDA Symbol:
- VEBO
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 180 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, lavender
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), Yellow-faced bumble (Bombus vosnesenskii) Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Moths:Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) Butterflies:American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Atalopedes Scudder, Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Yellows (Colias Fabricius), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Horace's Duskywing (Gesta Evans), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Peck's Skipper (Polites coras), Peck's skipper (Polites peckius), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Southern Broken-Dash (Polites otho), Spicebush Swallowtail (Pterourus troilus), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- butterflies, bees, hummingbirds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to open grasslands and disturbed areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Requires light for germination; do not cover seeds. Germination is improved by cold stratification but can occur without it in warm climates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months.