Hoary Vervain / Verbena stricta
Lovely vertical spikes of flowers that bloom from the bottom to the top and beautiful foliage, this Verbena is well-behaved in the garden and visited often by butterflies. Like Blazing Star, it takes up little horizontal space, so it can be interplanted with other species easily. It spreads some by seed, but is easily edited out if need be.
Seed Planting/Germination Key
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark place prior to planting.
Rule of thumb for depth of planting: The maximum depth should generally be half the width of the seed, but many wildflower seeds will germinate well if sown on the surface.
Easy: Generally germinates within 5 to 30 days with no need for cold pretreatment. Keep potting mix or soil consistently moist during the germination period.
Cold(30): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 30 days or outside in late winter.
Cold(60): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 60 days or outside in mid-winter.
Cold(90); Outdoors: Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 90 days or outside in late fall or early winter. The best route is to plant these outdoors in either a pot or directly on the soil.
Approximate Seeds Per Packet: 100
Germination: Cold(60)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Sunlight: Full, Part
Soil Moisture: Medium, Dry
Height: 3
Bloom Period: June-September
Bloom Color: Blue
USDA Zones: 3-8
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Birds
Larval Host For: Common Buckeye Butterfly