Verbena Purple Top - Vervain Seeds

Verbena bonariensis, also called purple top vervain, is a very airy perennial, much sought after by butterflies. From summer to the first frosts, a modestly-sized basal clump of leaves produces tall stems bearing panicles of airy, fragrant, small, purplish mauve flowers. Let it grow freely in flowerbeds. In autumn, it will easily self-seed among perennials and in the naturalistic areas of the garden, bringing a lot of freshness and airiness. This easy-to-grow plant is also very drought-resistant. It thrives in deep, light soils in the sun. 

Purple top vervain originates in South America, from Argentina to Brazil. Often grown as an annual, it is actually a tall, hardy perennial with deeply toothed leaves, grouped in a cushion-like basal rosette that grows to at least 50 cm in width. Its rapid growth allows it to flower in the first year of sowing. In early summer, it produces tall, square, fairly narrow, sparsely leaved stems that bear inflorescences in the form of light panicles at a height of more than 1 m. The tiny flowers display two shades of colour: lavender and purple-pink, and are either borne by terminal or axillary branches. They don't cease to bloom until the first frosts arrive, slowing only in periods of intense drought. It is a nectar-rich and melliferous plant, attracting a large number of butterflies which further accentuate its charm. The plant produces many seeds that are as fine as dust, which ensure the renewal of older plants or plants destroyed by hard frost.

Airy, elegant, delicately scented and permanently crowned by a halo of butterflies in flight, purple top verbena is an ideal plant for cottage beds and dry gardens. It goes well with Ammi, ornamental carrots, shrubby sages and lavender, wherever water is likely to run out. This plant is a boon for more barren soils, as it contents itself with very little and still is just as generous. It is ideal for providing an airy touch to a bed of coarser plants such as the big flowers of dahlias. You can also grow it in a large pot to take full advantage of its long flowering period.