Virginia ecotype
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Upright, clump-forming, branching, often colony-forming
Size: Typically 3 to 6 feet tall; 2 to 3 feet wide
Flowering Time: July to September
Bloom Color: Deep blue to violet
Habitat: Moist meadows, streambanks, ditches, low fields, marsh edges
Moisture: Average to moist; tolerates brief flooding and seasonal wetness
Light: Full sun to part sun; best showing in higher sun but needs more moisture
Soils: Loamy, silty, or clay soils; prefers moist, rich soil
Uses: Rain gardens, pollinator plantings, wetland edges, native borders, naturalized meadows, cottage gardens
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain)
Verbena hastata, or Blue Vervain, is a striking upright wildflower with elegant candelabra-like spikes of small, vivid blue-violet flowers. These blooms appear gradually from the bottom to the top of each spike, providing an extended nectar source through late summer. Found across much of eastern and central North America, it prefers sunny, moist habitats and often grows in colonies through reseeding, forming a bold vertical accent in wetland and prairie plantings.
Ecologically, Blue Vervain is a valuable nectar plant for a wide variety of native pollinators, including bumble bees, sweat bees, butterflies, and beneficial wasps. It is also a host plant for the Common Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) and supports the larvae of certain moths including a Verbena specialist.
Its ability to thrive in wet soils and disturbed areas makes it a great choice for rain gardens, wet meadows, bioswales, and wetland restorations, especially when paired with species like Eutrochium (Joe pye), Symphyotrihum puniceus (Swamp aster), Lobelia, Pancum virgatum (Switchgrass), and Helenium (Sneezeweed) and native Iris. Beyond its ecological value, its deep color and graceful form add late-season beauty and height to native landscape designs.