It’s easy to grow your own flowers from seed. Here’s beautiful flowers, growing information & seed collections for gifts.
COUNTRY GARDEN SEED SHOP
Verbena bonariensis
Verbena bonariensis Seeds
If you love tall 'see through' flowers you will adore this one. Verbena bonariensis has tall square stems topped by delicate heads of purple flowers. Their tubular flowers are full of nectar that butterflies and other pollinating insects love and they add a delightfully airy touch planted in drifts in borders. Verbena is good for cutting too… add them to mixed bunches of flowers to create a lovely contemporary look.
Strictly speaking Verbena is a Perennial plant but you can also treat it like a Hardy Annual. Sow indoors in spring and sow direct from May onwards when the soil has warmed up. Verbena flowers from mid summer onwards and will keep going long into autumn. You may know Verbena bonariensis as Purple Top.
| Genus | Verbena bonariensis |
| Common Name | Purple Top |
| Plant Type | Hardy Perennial can be treated as Hardy Annual. Cut Flower.
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| Height & Spread | 120cm- 150cm /4-5 feet tall x 30cm/1 foot wide |
| Sow Seeds | Sow indoors in spring on the surface of compost. Like most tiny seeds Verbena needs light to germinate. Take care not to overwater. Germinates at 18°C-22°C in 10-14 days. Grow on then plant out in May. Alternatively sow direct in a well prepared seed bed from May onwards. (Take care not to cover seeds with soil) 14 weeks from seed to flower from a spring sowing. |
| Thin/Plant Out | Thin or Plant out 30cm/1 foot apart after the last frosts when the soil has warmed up in May. |
| Conditions Required | Prefers moist but well drained soil in full sun. Verbena is a tall plant with slender stems but stands up to wild weather and does not need support. |
| Flower Production | Flowers from July to November. Keep cutting the blooms and your plants will keep producing flowers well into autumn. |
| Picking | Pick in the early morning or cool evening. Sear stem ends in boiling water for 20 seconds and stand flowers in a tall bucket of water for a good drink before arranging. Verbena flowers last 7 -10 days in a vase. |
| Planting Combinations | Verbena grows well with other tall hardy annuals such as Ammi and Dill and is particularly lovely with Grasses. Verbena pairs well with most blooms especially those in shades of blue such as Salvia viridis 'Oxford Blue', Centaurea 'Double Blue' and whites like Ammi majus and Cosmos 'Purity' |