why you should grow verbena rigida
Sarah shares with us the reasons she loves Verbena rigida, and what conditions are best to grow it in.
Verbena bonariensis, a tall purple plant, seems to be everyone’s favourite and I love it, but I love Verbena rigida even more. I love the fact that it is compact, it self-seeds and it seems to come back reliably from one year to the next, even though it is said to be half hardy. It’s just totally splendid and it flowers from June until November – a total winner. You can grow it from seed, you can grow it from cuttings – you’ve got to grow it! The pollinators love it (including the hoverfly which is in decline and is just as important as the bumblebee, honeybee or butterfly) as it has really rich nectar. It flowers with the classic square stem of the verbena family in a beautiful vivid purple, which I think has even more impact than Verbena bonariensis. It grows very well in fully drained soil, so you want to add a little bit of grit to wherever you are planting it, and it likes full sun.
