Vervain – flowering, can be used in pots on the balcony and outdoors and is easy to care for. But what happens to him in winter? Does it need frost protection or is it sufficiently hardy?
Is verbena hardy?
Whether verbena is hardy depends on the variety: True verbena (Verbena officinalis), lance verbena (Verbena hastata) and some Canadian verbena (Verbena canadensis) are hardy. Frost-sensitive varieties can be overwintered in pots or resown annually.
It depends on the variety
Not all verbena are the same. In the land of verbena there are numerous specimens that hobby gardeners call vervain. But there are many differences, especially with regard to their frost tolerance.
Verbena (Verbena officinalis), which is native to this country, can tolerate frost. It does not require any special frost protection in the form of leaves, brushwood, etc. over the winter. The lance verbena (Verbena hastata) and partly also the Canadian verbena (Verbena canadenis) are also hardy.
Overwintering as an alternative to freezing to death
You can overwinter verbena that are sensitive to frost if you care about them. This is only recommended if you have planted your verbena in a pot or bucket and it is on the balcony, for example. It is not worth overwintering frost-sensitive verbena plants outdoors. A layer of leaves or brushwood is usually not enough. The frost passes through this layer.
This is how overwintering frost-sensitive verbena works:
- Prune verbena after flowering in autumn
- Place the pot in a frost-free and cool place
- Air the wintering quarters regularly and keep them dark
- water little but regularly
- return to its location from mid-May
Alternative number 2: Sow again
Since verbena germinates well, it can be easily sown every year. For many varieties this is preferable to overwintering. When sowing, make sure that verbena is a light germinator and that growing it at home is preferable to direct sowing in the bed.
Tips & Tricks
Vervain likes to sow itself after the winter. Its seeds require a cold period to germinate. After winter they are ready in spring to start the germination process.
