Verbena hastata (swamp verbena)

Attracts butterflies Native Songbirds like Cardinals, Sparrows and Juncos eat the seed Host plant for the Common Buckeye butterfly A beautiful addition to a rain garden Looks terrific grown at the pond edge between sedge and rushes Flowers for nearly 3 months

Tall, slender stems hold up 5 to 6 inch spikes of the most beautiful, lavender blue, flowers that bloom for several months! Some say the flower spikes are reminiscent of candelabras. The flowers attract butterflies and it is a host plant for the Common Buckeye butterfly.  Don’t cut them back before spring because Cardinals, Sparrows and Junco’s enjoy eating the seed. This is an easy perennial to grow in bright sun with moist soil. It looks especially nice in rain gardens or along a ponds edge. Amazingly, blue vervain is native to every state in the U.S.

Hardiness Zone 3-9 Height 2-5 ft Spread 1-3 ft