Brazilian Vervain Verbena Seeds

Heirloom

#1192

(21 reviews)

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Availability: In Stock

Rose-violet to lavender blooms at the tips of tall, strong stems create a light, airy wave of color through the flower bed. Very attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Reseeds itself readily - a welcome volunteer! Also called tall or purple top verbena, purpletop vervain and South American Verbena.

$1.99 100 mg (~320 seeds)

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Botanical Name: Verbena bonariensis

Family: Verbenaceae

Native: South America

Hardiness: Perennial in USDA zones 7–11

Plant Dimensions: 3'–4' tall and 1'–3' wide

Variety Information: 2"–3" clusters of small (¼") purple flowers.

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Bloom Period: Summer to frost

Attributes: Attracts Pollinators, Cut Flower, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant

When to Sow Outside: 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 65° –75°F.

When to Start Inside: 10 to 12 weeks before your average last frost date.

Days to Emerge: 14–28 days

Seed Depth: Barely cover

Seed Spacing: A group of 6 seeds every 18"–24"

Thinning: When 1" tall, thin to 1 every 18"–24"

Cut Flower Gardening—10 Tips for Success
Making Cut Flowers Last Longer
Stratification and Scarification

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Brazilian Vervain Verbena Seeds Reviews

21 reviews

Vervain verbena,, butterfly magnet

Jul 20, 2018

This should be in everyone's garden! The butterflies just love it . It is so graceful and the little flowers are simply beautiful. Also hard to find it seems.

shelly l benner from PA

Slow but Lovely

Dec 24, 2018

I found Verbena bonariensis took forever to sprout and take off and when I first grew it a couple years back I half-decided it wasn't worth doing again. However, I didn't realize it was a persistent perennial that grows and takes care of itself after that initial investment! I moved some plants I'd put too close to a walkway and they transplanted beautifully. Growing some more this year for the backyard. These flowers are absolutely beautiful and look amazing in a cut flower arrangement or with a little flower sprig tucked under the ribbon of a gift.

Andrea from OR

Owner Response: Andrea, We love them too! Butterflies seem to flock to them and they are great as cut flowers. We can't wait for spring!

Still trying!

Jul 16, 2019

I have no been successful sprouting this gorgeous plant! Will keep trying, it's probably something on my end!

Triniti from CA

Owner Response: Hi Triniti, Try sowing then in cells or small pots with moistened seed starting mix and refrigerating them for 2-3 weeks before sprouting them--this may help.

Tall, graceful and lovely filler

Aug 14, 2019

Brazilian Vervain Verbenais hard to find so when found them on Botanical Interests site, I grabbed couple of packets. I successfully winter sowed one packet, and direct-sowed another packet. These gems are perfect in between fuller plants. The stems are very slender with almost no leaves to speak of, so they work best mixed in with other plants, not on their own. I have them inter-planted between calendula, peony poppies, cosmos and zinnia, and the result is gorgeous. Pollinators love them and they are great in flower arrangements too.

Mary from CO

Tough as an Arizona Summer

Oct 29, 2020

Tough, pretty, and smart to plant since it's so water-wise! I hand-sow these guys in with my roses in my Zone 3 irrigated (small) beds close to the house in Phoenix - in the fall- where the irrigation and water use is kept to a minimum, and they take off by spring. They self-sow as well even in un-irrigated spots, yet are not invasive. Great in fresh and dried flower arrangements.

Ari Driver from AZ

Tall verbena plants

Jul 2, 2021

The germination rate was pretty good but definitely took longer than I anticipated, but just be patient! I would probably recommend planting them closer than the seed packet spacing indicates so you get a fuller look since they are pretty tall and lanky, they definitely are more appreciable when planted in mass. They are doing well in the summer heat and got to about 3-3.5 feet tall so far.

Steph from UT

Disappointed

Aug 13, 2021

Second Year trying with seeds but no luck

Kathleen Tutone from NH

Owner Response: Hi Kathleen, Similar to the hollyhocks you reviewed these seeds also need light to germinate so they should not be buried. Rest assured we do test our seeds regularly using a third-party laboratory to ensure seeds meet federal and our own standards. A customer service agent will be contacting you by email to help.

Longer germination

Oct 23, 2021

These took longer to germinate than I expected. But I ended up with a few plants that put on a great display this year. In the future I will probably try the "winter sowing" trick (planting in a milk bottle directly outside) and pricking out.

Amy from UT

Prolific

Nov 26, 2021

I winter sowed these seeds, then transplanted into a raised bed devoted to pollinator plants. They bloomed heavily from latter July through early November here in south central PA

Kathleen from PA

Excellent Perennial Flower In Zone 8b

Dec 2, 2021

Great success planting these tall, abundant flowers on the first try. Planted the seeds in late winter and covered them with shade cloth until they were established. This packet made a patch that is about 2 feet by 4 feet.

Christina from OR

Recommend

Jan 18, 2022

Great germination. Will buy again.

Rebecca from FL

Unsuccessfull germination

Mar 9, 2022

This is the second year I am trying to start the Brazilian Vervain from seed, but having no success. I did followed the special instructions for stratification both times and have a set up with plenty of light and warmth, but still have yet to see any sprouts. Wondering if there is a better method for zone 4b?

KELLY from MN

Owner Response: Hi Kelly, We are sorry you are having trouble germinating this seed. A customer service agent will contact you by email to help. Your zone/average lowest winter temperatures wouldn't change anything about the germination methods, but it does mean this plant is not perennial in your area. The stratification period (seeds sown in moistened media and refrigerated) is 2 weeks and then the seeds should be kept dark (cover sown trays with something opaque) when removed from the refrigerator for germination. The ideal soil temperature range is 65-75 degrees F, which in most homes would not require a heat mat and no lights should be used until seeds germinate--this is true of all seeds, but verbena germination is aided by darkness so it is especially important. We are always happy to help troubleshoot germination issues--shoot us an email. We hope these tips are helpful. Happy gardening!

Really Takes Off

Apr 22, 2022

I started a packet of these last spring and once they sprouted they just never really grew. I kept them in my greenhouse forever before I gave up on them. I didn't have the heart to dump them so I planted these tiny little seedlings that you could hardly even see in the garden. Immediately after they were planted out they EXPLODED! Like, within days! They quickly reached 4 feet or more and attracted more pollinators than you could imagine. They self seeded like crazy. Thousands of baby seedlings, which may be a good or bad thing. Look just as pictured.

Sasha from OR

Owner Response: Hi Sasha, Thanks for sharing your experience. Plants in small pots will usually stay small because their root space is limited. We are glad you transplanted these are were able to experience their full potential. Happy gardening!

Slow to germinate but WOW by year two!

May 18, 2022

Was so excited to find these seeds because you can't find this in nurseries and I had it at an old house. Seeds are SLOW to germinate - I gave up on them and just left the pot sitting on a table outside and eventually I had little seedlings in most of the cells. I planted them out but it was fairly late in the summer so they didn't put on much of a show. Year two, WOW they are the best thing in my garden right now. They came back with gusto. Literally six feet tall, slender plants with purple flowered tops. If you are looking for something unique in your garden, this is it. Give them lots of time to germinate and they will reward.

Jill from NC

Amazing!!

Jun 5, 2022

I was so excited to find these seeds, as I had them at a previous house, and they can't be found in any local nurseries. When others say slow germination, it is really, really slow. I had given up on them because it was mid summer, then I started seeing little seedlings. I wasn't too impressed but planted them out anyways and WOW, they really took off once they got in the garden soil. They have come back for a second year and, I am not joking, some are over six feet tall. These are my favorite and I'm giving out seedlings to friends and family now. Give them time and they will return the favor.

Jill from NC

Worth the Wait

Jun 5, 2022

These tiny little seeds were a bit tricky to germinate and the seedlings took several months before they finally took off, but they were absolutely worth the wait and are now flourishing. The plants are very heat tolerant and do not seem to mind the extreme heat (100+) in our area of central TX. The flowers are just beautiful and beloved by butterflies and bees alike.

Lizzy from TX

They are 8' tall!

Jun 13, 2022

I planted this vervain last year and had success with 5 of the 8 plants from seed, earwigs ate the rest. I overwintered the 5 and replanted this winter in February. They have already reached 8' tall on second year growth. A fabulous success, with everybody visiting: hummingbirds, many varieties of butterflies and bees. Planted next to our deck and we have a daily show of plant love from our back yard insect visitors.

Denise from CA

Wrong Seeds

Jun 24, 2022

Bought this packet at a local store and grew them from seed this spring. They were not these flowers!. My flowers were white and foliage "feathery". My plant identifier says they are Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot.

Jody from IN

Owner Response: Hi Jody, Thank you for making us aware of your experience. I will make sure to report this issue and a customer service representative will be in contact with you shortly.

Beautiful and unique

Sep 24, 2022

Have planted several years in big pots by themselves. I love their tall graceful flowers so this year I planted some pink and orange zinnias in the same pot. Smashing color combination. The verbenas are slow to start but well woth the wait.

Margaret from OH

Can't germinate these

Feb 18, 2023

I followed the instructions from a review below and put in refrigerator in a dark bag for 2 weeks, then in a covered tray at room temperature for dark germination and nothing after 2 weeks. Now I was just re-reading the reviews below and saw another BI response saying these seeds need light to germinate, so I'm very confused - do they need light or dark to germinate? Why can't I germinate them? I'd appreciate more detailed instructions in the sowing tab instead of having to hunt through past replies in the review section. Thanks!

Cynthia from MI

Owner Response: Hi Cynthia, Thank you for sharing your experience with these seeds and our product. On the back of our seed packet, we note to "just barely cover the seeds with soil" as these seeds need light to germinate. We do test our seeds regularly using a third-party laboratory to ensure germination rates meet federal and our own standards. I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out to us for more information at horticulturist@botanicalinterests.com.

Pollinator magnet

Feb 28, 2023

One of the most popular with all sorts of pollinators. It's constantly visited by butterflies and bees. I do find volunteers popping up but not difficult to keep under control. Does well in the heat, doesn't need much care once it's established.

Katherine Hadary from CA