Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Verbena canescens (Gray vervain)
Strickland, Sam C.

Verbena canescens Kunth

Gray vervain

Verbenaceae (Verbena Family)

USDA Symbol: VECA5

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This species is a member of the verbena family (family Verbenaceae), which includes about 75 genera and 3,000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, mostly of tropical and warm temperate regions. Among them, teak is a highly prized furniture wood, and Vervain, Lantana, Lippia or Frog Fruit, and Chase Tree or Vitex are grown as ornamentals.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: 6-18
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , CA , NM , NV , TX
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Conditions Comments: The common name for this vervain refers to its gray foliage, which is right at home in a short meadow garden or as an accent in a small planting, such as in a pot. Grows well with four-nerve daisy, prairie fleabane, and winecups. Trim the old flower stalks to keep the plant blooming. Needs good drainage.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 1064 Collected Mar 8, 1996 in Bexar County by Mike Fox

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-0105 Collected 2007-06-04 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Verbena canescens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Verbena canescens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Verbena canescens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-08-07
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back