Verbena bonariensis - Purple Top

Verbena bonariensis, also known as Buenos Aires verbena, bursts into bloom in the sun under a procession of colourful butterflies. This tall and uncomplicated perennial plant is a graceful wanderer with a light footprint, its flower panicles in shades of violet giving off an "airy" appearance. It brings a sense of lightness to its companion plants. Blooming from late spring to autumn, it has a relatively short lifespan and is moderately hardy, but readily self-seeds in light, even poor and dry soil, in full sun.

Buenos Aires verbena is from the verbenaceae family, native to South America from Brazil to Argentina. When in bloom, the plant can easily reach a height of 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in), with foliage measuring 20 to 30 cm (7.9 - 11.8 in) and a width of 50 cm (19.7 in). Its basal leaves are green, elongated, with toothed edges, and more or less evergreen depending on the winter cold. In late spring, vigorous square stems with a rough texture shoot towards the sky, branching out at the top. They bear numerous rounded inflorescences, in compound panicles made up of many tiny, tubular, fragrant flowers ranging from mauve to purple, attracting many pollinating insects. Flowering continues until October, with a period of rest in July when drought is too intense. The lifespan of this verbena is relatively short, but it produces many seeds that easily germinate in light soil.

Like a light curtain, Buenos Aires verbena filters the view and adds depth to flowerbeds. Easy to grow if in full sun, perennial and relatively hardy, it is stunning in a natural garden alongside gauras, viper's bugloss, evening primroses, mugworts or yarrows. It can also be used to lighten up a bed dominated by large flowers such as dahlias or tree peonies. You can also grow it in a large pot to fully enjoy its long flowering period.