Verbenas - also known as verbena - are popular flowers for sunny balconies or warm garden locations. The magnificent flowers in many colors can be admired all summer long, and the annual cultivated flowering plant is extremely easy to care for. In the following article we will tell you how to plant and care for verbena correctly.
How do I care for verbena plants properly?
Verbenas are easy-care, colorful flowers for sunny locations in balcony boxes, pots or beds. They need a humus-rich, nutrient-rich and well-drained soil, regular watering and fertilization as well as a sunny location for a lush, long-lasting flowering period from May to October.
Origin and distribution
Verbenas belong to the verbena family (Verbenaceae) and are therefore often referred to as “verbena”. The genus is originally native to the warm regions of South America, but some species also originate in other parts of the world. The European wild species Verbena officinalis (Vervain) has been considered a medicinal plant since ancient times and was preferred for birth spells and for injuries. The majority of verbenas available commercially today are hybrid forms and are characterized by a comprehensive color spectrum of their flowers. In addition, some seed-resistant species - such as the Patagonian verbena (Verbena bonariensis) - are also very popular as short-lived garden and pot plants.
Usage
Verbenas are primarily used as plantings in balcony boxes, pots and hanging baskets, although a distinction is made between compact and hanging varieties. Compact and rather flat variants such as 'Vepita', 'Vectura' or 'Lindolena' look good in boxes and small containers, while forms with long and strong shoots develop their splendor best in hanging baskets. Verbenas look particularly pretty in combination with other lushly blooming balcony classics such as vanilla flowers (Heliotropium arborescens), magic bells (Calibrachoa), petunias (Petunia) or begonias (Begonia).
Verbenas are also very suitable for underplanting, for example rose or hibiscus standard stems. Furthermore, the flowers look good in any mixed summer flower and perennial bed, especially in combination with roses, as a gap filler or as a border plant. For example, a circular, colorfully planted flower bed in the middle of a lawn looks different.
Appearance and growth
We generally cultivate frost-sensitive and heat-loving verbenas as annuals, although some species and varieties can be overwintered. However, the effort required is not worth it because the flowers produce numerous seeds in the fall. These can easily be used for further propagation.
The flowers grow herbaceously, very delicately and delicately and reach different heights depending on the species and variety. The classic hybrid varieties bred for pot cultivation usually grow to a height of between 15 and 30 centimeters. Some variants grow upright, others creeping or with shoots hanging downwards.
The pleasantly spicy-smelling verbena plants are very popular food plants for butterflies and other insects.
leaves
The lobed or pinnately-split, cross-opposite leaves of the verbena have a toothed edge. Some varieties have rough, hairy foliage, others smooth. The square stem is characteristic of the genus. Stipules are generally not formed.
Flowers and flowering time
However, the delicate, green leaves of the verbena take a back seat to its lush, multi-flowered umbels. The umbrella-like to spherical inflorescences bloom in almost all colors from white to yellow, pink, red, violet to green and brown. However, the striped or two- to multi-colored varieties such as 'Voodoo Star', 'Lanai Twister' or 'Wicked' are particularly attractive. Verbena also delights with its very long flowering period, which lasts from May until well into autumn. As a rule, only the first frost puts an end to the abundance of flowers.
Fruits
The flowers are pollinated by insects. Numerous nuts containing the seeds then form. You can collect these and use them again and again for re-sowing. Some types of verbena - especially the frost-hardy ones such as Verbena officinalis or Verbena hastata - like to sow themselves in the bed. These verbenas are cold germinators and require a period of cool weather in the cold season before germinating when temperatures rise in spring.
Toxicity
Verbena has been used as a medicinal herb for centuries, primarily for external applications such as inflammation or poorly healing wounds. Even today you can still buy verbena tea and oil in drugstores and pharmacies, although these natural remedies are made from the herb of the common or true verbena (Verbena officinalis), which is native here. However, the hybrid forms available in nurseries are purely ornamental plants and are not suitable for medicinal purposes.
Basically, verbena - no matter what type or variety it is - is not poisonous, the herb can even be consumed and the flowers can be used to decorate summer salads and desserts. But be careful: As with so many things, the dose makes the poison. The pretty flowers contain verbenaline, a glycoside that is only harmful in high doses, which is why you should only enjoy the slightly bitter-tasting parts of the plant in small quantities.
Which location is suitable?
Plant the verbena in a location that is as sunny and warm as possible, then they will bloom particularly profusely and for a long time. A south-facing location is ideal, especially on the balcony and terrace. Rain and wind don't bother the newer hybrid breeds at least; hot locations are also tolerated well. This sun-loving flower is only not suitable for shady places and therefore only produces few or no flowers in dark locations.read more
Floor
Verbenas, however, are not particularly demanding when it comes to optimal soil conditions. The flowers feel most comfortable in humus and nutrient-rich, fresh to moist, but well-drained and, at best, slightly acidic soil. For balcony and other container plantings, a high-quality, compost-based potting soil is sufficient.
pot culture
Verbenas are ideal for growing in pots, after all, many of the newer hybrid varieties have been bred specifically for cultivation on balconies and terraces. Make sure the pot has good drainage - clay granules or perlite in the substrate and a drainage hole at the bottom of the pot ensure this - and a regular supply of water and fertilizer. Verbena blooms particularly profusely in warm and sunny locations, which is why a south-facing balcony is ideal for these flowers.
Advance
You don't have to buy the pretty verbena every year, you can propagate them again and again from the seeds yourself. For summer flowering, prefer the flowers from February onwards, although you must first break the germination inhibition - verbena are cold germinators and therefore need to be kept in the refrigerator for a period of around four weeks. And this is how you grow the little plants from the seeds:
- Spread seeds on a slightly damp surface (e.g. conventional kitchen paper)
- Roll up the base and put it in the fridge for about four weeks
- Always keep paper and seeds slightly moist
- Seeds must be kept cool but not exposed to temperatures below 0°C
- Now plant the seeds or seedlings in small pots or in a bowl with growing substrate.
- Now grow the seedlings in cool temperatures between 10 and 15 °C until they can finally be planted out from mid to late May and accustomed to rising temperatures.
It's easier if you sow the seeds in a cold frame in the fall and plant them there. However, ensure consistent moisture and prick out the young plants in good time.
Planting verbena correctly
Always place the verbena in excavation enriched with mature compost, whereas potted plants go in fresh potting soil. Mix these with clay granules and create a drainage layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the pot. After planting, the root area should be mulched - for example with a mixture of bark mulch and compost - to retain moisture in the soil for longer and to prevent the flowers from drying out.
What is the best time to plant?
Basically, you can plant verbena throughout the entire season, but you should only put the mostly sensitive flowers outdoors towards the end of May. Many species and varieties are very sensitive to frost and must therefore not be exposed to late frost.
The correct planting distance
Depending on the type and growth habit, verbena requires a planting distance of between 25 and 50 centimeters. The permanent bloomers are best planted in dense tuffs, where they soon form dense carpets of flowers.
Watering verbena
The perennially flowering verbena requires a lot of water, so the soil should never dry out completely. Regular watering is therefore useful for potted flowers as well as during warm and dry phases, even for planted specimens. At the same time, however, the plant does not tolerate waterlogging, so the soil should always only be moderately moist, but never dripping wet. Verbenas in the bed are also mulched with bark, grass clippings and/or compost so that the soil does not dry out on hot days.
Fertilize verbena properly
Verbenas are not only extremely thirsty, they also have high nutritional requirements. From April onwards, supply specimens cultivated in planters with a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants once a week. Planted flowers, on the other hand, receive organic compost fertilization once a month or, alternatively, are also supplied with commercially available flowering plant fertilizer. When planting, it also makes sense to enrich the excavation with compost and horn shavings or horse manure.
Cut verbena correctly
Since verbena is usually cultivated as an annual, pruning is not necessary. You should only clean out the spent flower umbels regularly to encourage the plant to form new flower balls.read more
Propagate Verbena
Verbenas can be propagated using self-collected or purchased seeds, although this project is somewhat time-consuming due to the necessary cold stimulus. Propagating cuttings is also not uncomplicated; after all, the top cuttings cut in August must be kept cool, but bright and frost-free over the winter. Only next spring do you plant the vegetatively propagated verbena in planters or in the bed.read more
Wintering
Some types of verbena are annual anyway and die after the seeds ripen. Others, on the other hand, are basically perennial, but must be kept frost-free and in a bright place over the winter - only a few verbena, such as the native vervain, are frost-hardy and can be left outside over the winter. The lushly flowering hybrid varieties that are usually available in garden stores, however, need a lot of warmth and must not be cultivated colder than 0 °C. It is often not worth overwintering these, as over-year-old plants are often quite lazy when it comes to flowering. It is better to just cut cuttings and overwinter them.read more
Diseases and pests
Since verbena prefers warm locations, they often have to struggle with spider mites (also: red spider), whiteflies or aphids, especially when it is too dry. It helps to keep the flowers evenly moist and, if necessary, spray them occasionally with a fine sprayer. Planted specimens must be protected from snails, for example with a barrier, mulching with sawdust orStraw or spreading slug pellets. It also helps to socialize with plants that snails don't particularly like, such as carnations, geraniums, phlox, poppies, asters or begonias.
Some verbena varieties are also quite susceptible to powdery mildew, which often occurs in warm and sunny locations. However, many of the newer varieties have already been bred for resistance. Yellow leaves, on the other hand, are often an indication of a nutrient deficiency, which occurs primarily in soils that are too chalky and which you can eliminate with an iron fertilizer.
Verbenas don't bloom, what to do?
If verbena plants don't want to bloom, they are either too dark or not fertilized enough. The continuous flowering between May and October costs the plant a lot of energy, which is why it needs a lot of water and nutrients. Potted plants in particular must be continuously supplied with a good, balanced flowering plant fertilizer (€14.00 on Amazon) from April and throughout the entire growing season.
Tip
The tall varieties in particular are very suitable as cut flowers for the vase. They can even be dried and used to make pretty dried bouquets. Verbena intended for use as cut flowers is best cut when the buds have not yet fully opened. If you place the vase with the flowers in a bright place and change the water every day, you can enjoy the splendor even longer.
Species and varieties
There are thousands of different varieties of verbena, whose flowers and growth forms are very different. The color spectrum is huge, and there are also many two-color and multi-color variants. The flowers can also be simple or double, with or without a jagged or ruffled edge.
You should under no circumstances confuse the popular balcony and bed flower with the lemon verbena or verbena (Aloysia citrodora), which is also known as the lemon bush. Although this species also belongs to the verbena plant family, it is not a verbena family. In contrast to these, lemon verbena contains an essential oil that tastes intensely of lemon and is therefore often used for teas and perfumes.
The most beautiful verbena for balconies and beds:
- ‘Scarlet’: scarlet flower, drooping shoots
- 'Starfight': two-tone, pink flowers with white edges, hanging shoots
- 'Tapien': purple flowers, drooping shoots
- ‘Peaches & Cream’: peach-colored flowers with a gradient
- 'Lila Luzi': two-tone, blue flowers with a star-shaped white center, compact growth
- ‘Bright Rose’: pink blossom
The so-called lance verbena (Verbena hastata) with its brightly colored flower candles in red or purple is also very attractive. These varieties grow to a height of around 100 to 120 centimeters. With a height of up to 150 centimeters, the Patagonian verbena (Verbena bonariensis) also grows very tall. The species produces large, blue to blue-violet flower balls.
