Verbena rigida: Country Or Region Of Origin
South America
Plant Profile: Verbena rigida
Taxonomy: Verbena rigidaNames
Purple Verbena, Rigid Verbena, Sandpaper Verbena, Slender Vervain, Tuberous Vervain
Phonetic Spelling:ver-BEE-nah RIJ-ih-dah
Genus:Verbena
Species:rigida
Family:Verbenaceae
Slender Vervain is a perennial plant that propagates through rhizomes and originates from South America. In regions north of zone 7, it behaves as an annual and requires winter protection in that area. This species has become established from southeastern North Carolina down to Florida, demonstrating a strong resilience to both heat and drought conditions.
For optimal growth, it should be planted in well-drained soil and positioned in full sunlight, making it an excellent option for sunny, hot perennial borders or container gardens. However, it does not fare well in poorly drained, wet winter soils.
Verbena rigida Feature Summary
Tags
#purple
#deciduous
#fall color
#full sun tolerant
#heat tolerant
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#nectar plant
#fall interest
#rabbit resistant
#cpp
#summer flowers
#deer resistant
#groundcover
#pollinator plant
#bird friendly
#butterfly friendly
#bee friendly
#container plants
Similar Plants
Verbena rigida Feature Summary
Attributes
South America
Very attractive to butterflies. This plant is occasionally damaged by deer.
Perennial
Seed
Root Cutting
Flowers
2 to 3 in. clusters of purple to lilac flowers that bloom summer to fall on stiffly erect spikes
Purple/Lavender
Showy
Long Bloom Season
Summer
Fall
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
Leaves
2 to 4 in. leaves that are rough to the touch with coarsely toothed margins
Deciduous
Simple
Opposite
Lanceolate
Serrate
3-6 inches
Rough
1-3 inches
Stem
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Ground Cover
Deciduous
Erect
Mounding
Spreading
Medium
Low
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Piedmont
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Fruit
Capsule
Landscape
Rock Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Border
Mass Planting
Drought
Deer
Heat
Container
Coastal
Butterflies
Songbirds
Verbena rigida Image Gallery
Verbena rigida Attributes
Verbena rigida: Wildlife Value
Very attractive to butterflies. This plant is occasionally damaged by deer.
Verbena rigida: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Verbena rigida: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Verbena rigida Flowers
Verbena rigida: Flower Description
2 to 3 in. clusters of purple to lilac flowers that bloom summer to fall on stiffly erect spikes
Verbena rigida: Flower Color
Purple/Lavender
Verbena rigida: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Verbena rigida: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Verbena rigida: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Verbena rigida: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Verbena rigida Leaves
Verbena rigida: Leaf Description
2 to 4 in. leaves that are rough to the touch with coarsely toothed margins
Verbena rigida: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Verbena rigida: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Verbena rigida: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Verbena rigida: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Verbena rigida: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Verbena rigida: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Verbena rigida: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Verbena rigida: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Verbena rigida: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Verbena rigida Stem
Verbena rigida: Stem Description
Stems root at the nodes
Verbena rigida: Stem Color
Green
Verbena rigida: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Verbena rigida Whole Plant Traits
Verbena rigida: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Verbena rigida: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Verbena rigida: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Verbena rigida: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Verbena rigida: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Verbena rigida Cultural Conditions
Verbena rigida: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Verbena rigida: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Verbena rigida: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Verbena rigida: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Verbena rigida: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Verbena rigida Fruit
Verbena rigida: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Verbena rigida Landscape
Verbena rigida: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Verbena rigida: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Verbena rigida: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Verbena rigida: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Verbena rigida: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
