If you want to attract pollinators all summer long, verbenas are the plants that will do just fine. Their rich nectar is particularly popular with hoverflies who help keep aphids in check throughout your garden-and they’re so useful!
The tall willowy Verbena bonariensis has encouraged other similar types such as “Lollipop” which is just as colorful but rather more compact, and there are also wonderful hardy species: verbena hastata/rigida.
If you’re looking for a plant to fill your containers, look no further than these verbena cuttings. The colors are always changing and will complement any flower in the vase or pot!
How to Grow Verbena
Where to grow Verbena
Planting Verbena is easy and fun! Be sure to choose a spot with well-drained soil for your plant. Full sun is what these plants require, placed in borders or pots.
When to plant Verbena
The Verbena seed can be sown indoors from February to April or directly after all danger of frost has passed in May. The plant needs at least 4 weeks for germination and then another 2 months before it’s ready for planting out, so plan accordingly!
How to Plant Verbena
Sowing Verbena seeds
Sprinkle the seed on top of some fine compost. Before covering, check with instructions as to whether or not it needs light for germination and once they have grown bigger enough handle individual pots before planting in your border.
Potting on & planting out Verbena plants
When you receive your verbena seedlings, plant them immediately and watch as they slowly acclimatize to outdoor conditions.
Once the plant has hardened off and passed its danger date, you can plant it in a pot or container. Use mycorrhizal fungi (Rootgrow) to coat soil for best effect then water well after planting!
You want 3+ plants per group because that is what nature does – grow together as one unit with everyone helping out according to needs.
Growing Verbena in pots & containers
Growing verbena in containers is an excellent way to bring the beauty of flowers into your home. They are also perfect for adding color and scent!
The smaller low-growing varieties will fit best if placed on their own or mixed with other half hardy perennials that can tolerate more shade like lavender, for example. Make sure you provide good drainage and full sunshine so they don’t become rootbound.
How to Care for Verbena
If you’re looking for an easy-to be impressed plant, then verbena is your secret weapon. These hardy herbs can thrive in just about any conditions and will provide years of beauty with their unique flowers that change color depending on season!
Staking
Verbena can withstand even the most windy conditions with its square, wiry stems that are sturdy enough to not be toppled over.
Deadheading
Deadheading the spent flowers will increase your gardening enjoyment by prolonging the flowering season of some varieties, but most will continue for months until first frosts.
Propagating
If you live in a cooler climate, it is important to propagate the more tender varieties from cuttings and give them morning light. These can be taken when stems are firmest for best results!
Remove some non-flowering side shoots around 10cm long. Trim just below a leaf node and strip away most of the leaves from this area with sharp pruning shears or even cut them off at ground level if you don’t have any gardening gloves on hand!
Poke them into gritty compost where they will be able to grow strong roots while developing their new shape before being potted up in individual pots so that they can overwinter safely.
Pests & Common Diseases
Verbena is a pretty tough plant, but here are some things to watch out for.
Powdery mildew
If you’re growing verbenas in the greenhouse, then it’s important to take extra precautions against powdery mildew. Powdery fungal growths will appear on their surface and should be removed immediately before spreading further!
Try to avoid this by watering the roots rather than leaves, and watch out for fungus problems. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation indoors too!
Verbena not blooming
It is difficult to say why your plant isn’t growing, but it might be because of the lack in sunlight. Six hours a day should suffice and moving it around will help too! A simple trim could also spark new growth if you’re having trouble with flowering too!
Verbena is wilting
No matter the cause, wilting plants are a sad sight. Make sure you’re watering them correctly and often for optimum health!
The environment can also impact their appearance through high humidity or too much sun exposure which both lead to leaves turning brown, so ensure good hygiene and proper air circulation.
Verbena leaves turning white
Powdery mildew is probably the cause for leaves turning white. Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease that leaves white deposits on the surface of your plant’s leaves.
Make sure to water from roots rather than misting or watering directly onto them so you don’t get this problem, and also provide plenty of ventilation if growing indoors.