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This inhabitant of the garden has more than 200 species. Below we consider what kind of plant is verbena, planting and care necessary for lush flowering, photos of various species. A long time ago the plant has a kind of mystic in it. She guarded the hearth of the Celts and was part of the druids' love drinks.
People simply believed this, but there is also actual evidence of its usefulness. The plant is actively used herbalists and helps to cope with many ailments.
Such a different verbena
Conventionally, representatives of the Verbenaceae can be divided according to several criteria:
- There are annual, perennial and semi-shrub species.
- Stems are creeping, erect or prostrate. The leaves are different too.
- You can choose any color of inflorescences - there are about 10 of them. There are monochromatic and flowers with a peephole.
But all species have common features. Verbena - rhizomatous plant. In the inflorescence collected about 50 small flowers. Flowering can be observed from the beginning of summer to November. In our climate, unfortunately, growing vervain is obtained only as an annual - most species do not tolerate frosty winters.
Now let's dwell on popular types of vervains and consider a photo of flowers.
Verbena perennial direct
This is the only plant species that tolerates frost. The leaves are oval-shaped with teeth on the edges, 9 by 5 cm. The flowers are purple, the inflorescence is 40 cm in length. Flowering short.
Verbena Buenos Aireskaya
From the name it is clear that the plant is home to warm countries. There Verbena Buenos Airesskaya reaches 120 cm, grows like a perennial. It has a main stem and side shoots at the base of the bush. The leaves are long, with cloves on the edges. Flowers light lilac color. Inflorescence in the form of spikelets, which in turn form umbrella-shaped caps. Flowering is long and abundant. The second name is Bonar Verbena. 
Verbena hybrid
A popular look for gardeners in our region. It has creeping, branched or standing stalks from 20 cm to half a meter long. The leaves are triangular in shape with a colorless bristle. Inflorescences in the form of umbrellas, fragrant. Verbena hybrid can be of two subspecies:
- grandiflora( up to half a meter tall);
- compact( up to 30 cm in height).
Vervain ampelnaya
There are two main varieties of ampelous vervain:
- Image;
- Moon River.
Most often ampelous verbena is grown in hanging pots.
Verbena officinalis
Perennial medicinal verbena grows up to 80 cm. The leaves are oblong, the flowers are purple, the inflorescence is in the form of a whisk.
Verbena citric
In height it grows up to 2 meters, inflorescence colosiform. This species pleases with flowers from July to September. Most often, the variety is used to make butter, added to tea.
The medicinal properties of the plant
Verbena has medicinal properties and contraindications. The latter include individual intolerance. There are many therapeutic properties, they differ in different species. We tell about the two most popular.
So verbena officinalis has an excellent antispasmodic effect. In addition:
- relieves headaches;
- helps with vegetative dystonia;
- normalizes pressure;
- diuretic;
- removes cholesterol from the blood vessels.
Verbena citrica has an antiseptic effect, is used in the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia, as well as:
- sedative;
- antipyretic;
- is used for abnormal liver function;
- helps with problems with the digestive tract;
- anti-inflammatory.
Planting Verbena
Since we have verbena grown as an annual plant, let's figure out how to grow it from seeds. In some cases, seed germination is required for germination. To do this, you need a damp cloth, a dark bag and a fridge. We put the seeds in a moistened cloth, put it in a bag and leave it in the refrigerator chamber for 5 days.
The stratification procedure is needed for those types of verbena, which have a very dense seed box.
After stratification, you can start sowing. Verbena seeds can be germinated as a seedling method, and in open ground. By the way, the first method showed a high germination rate.
Verbena seeds germinate for 3-5 years.
In many species of verbena, the percentage of seed germination is up to 30%.It is worth considering and not expect a miracle. Seedlings are sown in March for seedlings. It is necessary to prepare pots with humus, sand or perlite mixed with the ground. Further seeds fall asleep and are covered with a thin layer of humus. Containers should be covered with glass and germinated at a temperature of 20 degrees.
Do not forget to sometimes air the shoots, and remove condensate from the glass.
First seedlings appear in 3 weeks. As soon as they appeared, the container should be moved to a cooler place. 
To care for seedlings is simple - it is necessary to maintain water balance. Plants are sprayed when the land is completely dry.
When the seedlings have two pairs of leaves( approximately in May), you need to pick them in separate pots. When the plants are already accustomed to a new place, you can do fertilizing with mineral fertilizer.
In ampel varieties, the tip over a 5-6 leaf should be pinned. This contributes to better branching of the plant.
When the seedlings are already grown, you can put them in open ground. Best suited sunny place with fertile loam. But verbena can grow in partial shade on poor soils dug with sand.
It is important to maintain the distance between the flowers so that they do not interfere with the normal development of each other. Thus, undersized vervains are planted at a distance of 20 cm, and creeping - 25-30 cm.
In order to avoid deadly stagnation of water, drainage material should be added to each well before planting.
Planting vervains and care in the open field is as follows. On the street, the temperature should be already above 0 in the afternoon, and at night not below -3.Otherwise, the plant will die. Make sure that the soil with the seeds is loose - just so the sprouts can break through.
Sow to wet soil, do not sprinkle on top. Also do not forget about timely watering, but do not overmoisten the soil.
How to care for vervain
Plant care rules are quite simple:
- During the period of active growth and flowering need regular watering. From the end of the summer it is stopped altogether.
- Loosening is necessary in extreme heat. It is done only after watering for aeration of the roots.
- Weeds need weeding when planting verbena for the first time growth.
- In order not to fight weeds and loosen the ground, mulch the soil. Mulch will replace your work.
As for fertilizer, organic and minerals are applied. The first is added only once per season. If you fertilize more organic matter, verbena will only grow the green part, but you will not wait for flowering. Mineral fertilizer is applied 4 times.
When removing wilted flowers, verbena will delight you with beauty and aroma until the first frost.
The dangers for the plant
Verbena is quite resistant and, subject to the rules of planting and care, looks like in the photo and practically does not get sick. The danger arises when growing on a street in a flower bed in rainy summer or when overflowing. So powdery mildew, blackleg, rot and other similar diseases can appear. That is, the plant will simply start to rot. Such diseases are hard enough to cure, so try not to allow overmoistening of the soil, organize good drainage.
Ticks and aphids can attack verbena from vermin. Insecticides will save them.
Harvesting Vervain Seeds
When most of the seed pods turn brown, you can collect seeds. To do this, cut the inflorescence and put it to dry on a sheet of paper. To avoid mold during drying, the inflorescence should be periodically turned over. When the inflorescence dries, it remains only to open the boxes and pour the seeds into the bag.
There is no guarantee that the seeds will pass on the appearance of the mother plant. What exactly of them will grow is impossible to guess.
Wintering Vervains
Most species in our climate grows as annuals, as the plant dies at temperatures below -3 degrees. In this case, plant residues are removed in the late autumn and the soil is dug up.
In some regions, you can try to make a verbena many years. To do this, it is necessary to warm the root system with sawdust in the fall.
There is only one species that stands wintering - verbena perennial straight. This is a rather rare plant in culture that needs preparation for winter. To keep the roots healthy until spring, you need to cut the stems to ground level, and close the base of the bush with spruce branches.
Decorating your garden with any sort of vervain, you definitely will not regret. This beautiful and useful plant is not whimsical, beautiful and fragrant.
