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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.

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Verbena halei (Texas vervain)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Verbena halei

Verbena halei Small

Texas Vervain, Slender Verbena, Texas Verbena, Slender Vervain

Verbenaceae (Verbena Family)

Synonym(s): Verbena officinalis ssp. halei

USDA Symbol: VEHA

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

An erect, rough, hairy, square-stemmed plant, Texas Vervain is an erect plant 1-2 1/2 feet tall, with several branches in the upper part. The leaves vary widely, with the bottom leaves deeply cut in some cases and the upper leaves slightly toothed, or sometimes with smooth margins. Leaves are 3/4-3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. There are several small flowers in long, loose clusters, blooming around the stem from the bottom up, usually 6-20 flowers blooming at the same time. They are bluish to lavender, 1/4 inch across, trumpet-shaped, ending in 5 petal-like lobes.

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

37 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Fruit Type: Schizocarp
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.

Bloom Information

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

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , FL , GA , LA , MO , MS , NC , NM , OK , SC , TX
Native Distribution: North Carolina south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Oklahoma and Missouri.
Native Habitat: Rich thickets and woodland borders.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam
Conditions Comments: Delicate lavender flowers adorn the slender spikes of this plant. Drought-tolerant and suitable for xeriscaping.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Wildflower meadow, Pocket prairie, Blooms ornamental
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division
Seed Collection: Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge, c/o Wimberley Birding Society - Wimberley, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
Texas Master Naturalists - Lost Pines Chapter - Bastrop, TX
National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 1067 Collected Apr 12, 1996 in Bexar County by Mike Fox
NPSOT 0877 Collected May 4, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0242 Collected June 13, 1992 in Comal County by Mary Beth White
NPSOT 0856 Collected Apr 29, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0479 Collected Jul 30, 1993 in Atascosa County by Louise Morrell
NPSOT 0076 Collected May 19, 1990 in Bexar County by Mollie Walton
NPSOT 0253 Collected July 11, 1992 in Kendall County by Kristina Coates

7 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-99 Collected 2007-05-30 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 293 - Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas (1979) Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston
Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-03-01
Research By: LAL, GAP

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