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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - Mother Nature's Garden of Health |
Summer
has truly begun by July. The days and
nights are warm and the early buckwheats are in full glory. But tucked around the garden are some other summer-flowering
perennial treats. One of these – blooming
now in the Garden of Health – is the California verbena. The scientific name for this plant is
pronounced ver-BEE-nuh laz-ee-oh-STAY-kiss.
The
stems of Verbena lasiostachys are
square in cross section. California
verbena belongs to the Vervain Family (Verbenaceae). The Verbenaceae
is closely related to the Mint Family (Lamiaceae),
which also features square stems and aromatic foliage. In fact, some species formerly included in
the Verbena Family have recently been reclassified as Mints.
The
genus Verbena includes a number of
species grown as garden plants. This
genus, mostly native to the Americas and Asia, includes annuals and perennials
with small flowers that are usually pink, purple or white. They are often planted to attract
butterflies. But many Verbena species also have a long history
of use as medicinal plants. So one sees
them in herb or medicinal gardens as well.
Eight
Verbenas are native to California, but only Verbena
bracteata, V. scabra and V. lasiostachys grow in Los Angeles
County. While most native verbenas have
limited ranges, California verbena can be found in many sites throughout the
California Floristic Province (west of the Sierra Nevada Range), from Oregon to
Baja California, Mexico. But it
particularly likes the ocean-influenced climates of western California. It can
still be seen growing wild in the lowlands and foothills of Western Los Angeles
County and on Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands.
California
verbena (also commonly known as Western vervain and Western Verbena) is a
sub-shrub or perennial of the Coastal
Scrub, Chaparral and Oak Woodlands, rarely appearing above about 7500 ft. (2500
m.) elevation. It tends to grow among
and around the larger plants, usually in sunny or partly-shady spots that may
be seasonally moist or fairly dry.
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - growth form |
While
Verbena lasiostachys is classed as a
sub-shrub or part-woody perennial, its form varies greatly depending on the circumstances
in which it grows. We’ve seen it growing
as a low-growing sprawler, as well as a more upright, open sub-shrub. We suspect the differences in form are
related to the amount of light, soil type and possibly also how far it dies (or
is eaten) back each year. At any rate,
its open form means it thrives around and between other plants.
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - the branches need pruning |
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - new growth in spring |
The
foliage of California verbena is typical for the genus: leaves that are
coarsely toothed and larger/more developed near the base of the plant, becoming
smaller up the stems. Plants have several to many stems, adding more
stems each year. Plants die back to
semi-woody stems in fall. We usually
prune our plants back in late fall. New
foliage appears with the spring rains – usually about the time the Miner’s
lettuce is flourishing in February (see above).
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - foliage |
The
variety scabrida, which is native to
Santa Catalina Island and the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountain foothills,
has rough-textured leaves. The variety lasiostachys, also native to the South
Bay (including the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve), has smooth, hairy leaves
(see above). Both varieties do well in
local gardens. And both look different
than just about any other native plant (other than the tall Verbena hastata).
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - flowers, shady location |
But
the real reason for growing any verbena is the flowers. The genus verbena equates with small flowers,
usually violet in color, tightly packed on upright flowering spikes. Verbena
lasiostachys has the violet-colored flowers typical of the genus. The individual flowers are small – perhaps ¼ inch
– but the flowering spikes are up to 4 inches (10 cm.) in length. The flowers have five petals, fused to form
two distinct lips (see below).
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - flower spike |
One
nice feature of the verbenas is that flowers open sequentially, from the bottom
to the top of the spike. This is a
godsend for habitat gardeners; the plants remain in bloom for weeks to months. And the flowers attract a wide range of
pollinators, from the European honey bee to native bees, butterflies and even
hummingbirds. If for no other reason, California verbena deserves to be planted
as a pollinator plant.
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - flowering plant |
While
not a long-lived perennial, Verbena
lasiostachys is easy to grow and will re-seed in many gardens. It has a reputation for being an aggressive re-seeder;
we suspect this is mostly so in regularly watered gardens. We’ve had only occasional seedlings appear in
our water-wise gardens, and those mostly close to the parent plant. The seedling’s leaves are distinctive and
readily noticeable. Seedlings can be removed
in late spring if needed.
California
verbena grows in just about any S. California soil, from sandy to poorly-draining
clays. It does best in part-shade
(afternoon shade) in most gardens. It
likes flat ground (it’s not one for the sides of a berm). And it also likes good winter-spring water,
even tolerating seasonal flooding. We
give our plants occasional water (every 2-3 weeks) through the flowering
season, then taper off irrigation in late summer.
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - Native Plant Garden, Madrona Marsh Nature Center, Torrance CA |
We
like this plant for its habitat value and old-fashioned charm. Since it dies back, plant it among evergreen
plants or local sub-shrubs. It will find
its way amongst the other plants each spring.
It works well with most of the local natives, including the grasses and
sedges. We’ve never grown it in a pot,
but suspect it would do fine. We have grown the shrubbier Lilac verbena
in containers; it does just fine (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/09/plant-of-month-september-lilac-cedros.html)
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - with Wooly bluecurls, Mother Nature's Garden of Health, Gardena Willows. |
And,
of course, California verbena is a pretty addition to the herb or medicinal
garden. Verbenas, including Verbena lasiostachys, have been used as
a general tonic for many years. Flowers
and foliage are often used as a tea or tincture for fevers and at the onset of
colds and sore throats. This remedy also
helps calm and settle queasy stomachs. The
plants make chemicals that likely reduce inflammation, a useful trait for a
medicinal plant.
In
summary, California verbena is a sweet little native perennial. It’s not a summer show-stopper; that honor
goes to the sunflowers and buckwheats.
But it is a charming pollinator plant, perfect for gardeners who love
purple and a medicinal plant to boot.
What’s not to like?
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| California verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) - pretty perennial |
For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-verbena-lasiostachys
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/verbena-lasiostachys-web-show
For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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