Verbena hastata

Verbena hastata is a plant native to the eastern United States, extending down to Virginia and Tennessee. It is naturally found in sunny, moist-wet habitats. It is best cultivated in similar conditions, although it tolerates some shade. It produces clusters of purple flowers in the late summer that attract lots of pollinators, including some specialized bees. Songbirds eat the seeds in the fall. In the height of the growing season, this plant can get up to four feet tall. It dies back almost completely in the winter, leaving a strong basal rosette of green leaves. Leaving the dormant stems through winter provides necessary over-wintering habitat for pollinators. Verbena hastata works well as a specimen plant in a rain garden or yard, or for stormwater control plantings.