Plant of the Month (September) : Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) - in container on porch

Mother Nature's Backyard

In
September, the orange-brown seed heads of the Buckwheats provide a colorful
backdrop for other late summer bloomers.
One of the prettiest of ‘the others’ – which is blooming right now on
our back porch – is the Lilac verbena, Verbena
lilacena (pronounced ver-BEE-nuh
lie-luh-SEE-nuh)

Plants
know no political borders. In fact, the
‘California Floristic Province’ (the area west of the Sierra Nevada Range in
California) includes parts of Baja California, Mexico. We’ve spoken before about the interesting
connections between our Channel islands and those off Baja California (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/07/plant-of-month-july-guadalupe-island.html).

Because
plants of the Baja Peninsula share not only climate, but also a geologic and
botanic history, many Southern California native plant nurseries sell Northern
Baja plants. These species often grow
well in western Los Angeles County and add accents not available in locally
native species. One such plant is the
Lilac or Cedros Island verbena.

Lilac
verbena hails from Cedros Island, off the coast of Baja. The island, which is
well known to sport fishermen, is located about 62 miles (100 kilometers)
west of Ensenada, Mexico, in the Pacific Ocean. Cedros
Island, or Isla
de Cedros ("island of cedars"), is home to a number of unique plant
and animal species, some of which are endemic (like Verbena lilacena). To learn
more about Cedros Island see references 1-3, below.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) - in glazed

pot. Greenhouse, CSU Dominguez Hills

Lilac
verbena naturally grows in sandy washes, canyons, slopes, cliffs and hillsides.
It’s a mounded, evergreen sub-shrub that’s 2-3 ft. (about ½ to one meter) tall
and 3-4 feet wide at maturity. In most
gardens (with occasional water) the plant is evergreen; in a very dry garden,
some leaves may be lost in the dry season (summer/fall).

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) in sunny location

Native Plant Garden, Madrona Marsh Nature Center, Torrance CA

The
plant appears delicate, with numerous thin stems which are surprisingly
stiff. The branch tips are herbaceous;
the lower parts of branches become woody with age. Plants grown in part-shade
are more rangy; those grown in full sun are naturally more compact (see above).

Foliage plays an important role in California
native gardens. Foliage colors, shapes
and scents provide the contrasts that define mediterranean climate gardens. Veteran Southern California gardeners know
the trick of pairing lush, green plants with the soft gray- and blue-green
foliage common in the Coastal Sage Scrub plants. The contrast is nothing short
of magical! The problem is finding
smaller shrubs that are both drought tolerant and vivid green. Lilac verbena is one such plant.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) - lacy foliage

In fact, foliage is one of Verbena lilacena’s strong points.
The color ranges from medium green to almost blue-green, depending on
site characteristics. The leaves are
highly incised, giving a lacy appearance to the foliage. In fact, Lilac verbena looks like a
traditional garden plant; that’s probably one reason it’s become so popular
with water-wise gardeners.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena),

Flowering plant

As if the foliage isn’t enough, Verbena lilacena has pretty flowers and
a growing season that spans much of the year in our area. In hot, inland areas, plants seems to flower
less in the hottest months. But plants
can be covered in blooms from spring well into fall. The secret to a long blooming season is
simple: deadhead (remove) the spent flowering stalks.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena).

Close-up of flowers

The flowers themselves are small – perhaps 1/3 of
an inch (less than 1 cm) across. They
have five notched petals and are relatively simple. The flowers grow along flowering stalks
densely packed with flowers (see above).
The flowers open serially, from bottom to top, providing a long bloom
season.

In the most common cultivar, Verbena lilacena ‘De La Mina’, the flowers are medium purple (the
straight species has paler purple flowers).
In the cultivar ‘Paseo Rancho’, the flowers are pastel pink. All are strikingly pretty and attract a wide
range of pollinators, from butterflies to pollinator flies. The flowers have a very sweet aroma;
particularly noticeable on days with higher humidity.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) 'De La Mina'

The cultivar Verbena
lilacena ‘De La Mina’, which is readily available at native plant and other nurseries offering water-wise
plants, was collected by Carol Bornstein on Cedros Island. It was introduced into the horticultural
trade by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden [4].
‘Paseo Rancho’, which is less readily available currently, is slightly
larger and was introduced by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden [5].

Lilac verbena does well in many local gardens. It prefers a well-drained, sandy soil, but
can be grown in clays. If your soil has
questionable drainage, try planting it on a slope or on a small berm.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) - El Rincon

Native Plant Garden, South Coast Botanic Garden

While often grown in full sun, Verbena lilacena may do better with some afternoon shade in hot,
inland gardens. But this is not a plant
for shady places – it really does need some sun to bloom well.

Lilac verbena is quite tolerant of a wide range of
garden water regimes. It prefers a
monthly deep watering in summer; that’s similar to conditions in the wild. But it can take even more frequent summer
water, provided soils are well-drained.
Be careful not to over-do with overhead watering during warm weather, as
powdery mildew can be a problem. Watch
for snails and slugs, which can eat young foliage.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena)

Well-pruned specimen, Native Plant Garden,

Madrona Marsh Nature Center, Torrance CA

Lilac verbena does require a little pruning to look
good. Deadhead the flowering stalks
regularly for best bloom. And cut back
branches by 1/3 each fall to create a full, mounded shape. Wait until the weather cools down before
pruning. The pruning doesn’t hurt the
plant. In fact, it simulates ‘natural pruning’
by animals.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) provides

color and contrast. Madrona Marsh Nature Center,

Torrance CA

Lilac
verbena can be a welcome addition to many local gardens. It’s water-wise and of a size that can be
accommodated by even a small garden. If
needed, it can even do well in a container or large hanging basket. The green foliage creates a green oasis in
the summer-fall garden. It is a great
plant for providing contrasts.

Lilac (Cedros Island) Verbena (Verbena lilacena) contrasts

nicely with salmon-colored wall

This
is one of our favorites for floral scent.
Plant it where you can enjoy the sweetness as you walk past. While not a super-star like the Buckwheats, Verbena lilacena attracts enough insects to
warrant a place in the habitat garden.
And if you love those rare, unusual native plants, this is one of those.

In short, Verbena
lilacena is an attractive, useful plant.
It does well in local gardens with very little care and it is water-wise
(ever so important these days). So
consider purchasing a Lilac verbena at the up-coming native plant sales.