Rigid Vervain

Verbena stricta

Rigid Vervain earns its name from the stiffly upright stems covered in soft, woolly hairs. the whole plant has a slightly fuzzy texture that you notice when you brush against it on a warm afternoon. From midsummer through early fall, the branching stems carry dense terminal spikes of deep violet-purple flowers that open progressively and draw an impressive parade of small native bees, butterflies, and skippers. The flowers are small individually but abundant, and the color is deep and rich in full sun. This is a plant for the challenging spots: dry sandy banks, road cuts, lean rocky soils, full sun. It doesn't just tolerate these conditions. it thrives in them, forming sturdy clumps that bloom for months without supplemental water. In a meadow planting, it fills the midsummer gap between early season bloomers and the fall aster/goldenrod rush. It self-seeds freely, which makes it excellent for naturalizing but requires some editing in formal borders.