Verbena bonariensis, Purple top, Argentinian vervain, Tall verbena, South American vervain, Verbena patagonica

Verbena bonariensis (Purple top)

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	Beginner skill rating
	0.5m max. spread
	2.5m max. height
	2-5 years to maturity
	1 hour care per year

Botanical name: Verbena bonariensis

Other names: Purple top, Argentinian vervain, Tall verbena, South American vervain, Verbena patagonica

Genus: Verbena

Species: V. bonariensis - V. bonariensis is an herbaceous perennial, with clusters of small, purple flowers from summer to autumn held on tall stems. Leaves are narrow and sparse.

Verbena bonariensis is: Deciduous

Flower: Purple in Summer; Purple in Autumn

Foliage: Dark-green in Summer; Dark-green in Autumn

Habit: Tall, Upright

Awards: RHS AGM (Award of Garden Merit)

Plant with: Stipa gigantea (Golden oats), Chasmanthium latifolium (North America wild oats), Stipa gigantea 'Gold Fontaene' (Golden oats 'Gold Fontaene'), Nicotiana sylvestris (Flowering tobacco), Lychnis chalcedonica (Maltese cross), Helianthus annuus 'Pastiche' (Sunflower 'Pastiche'), Verbena 'Moon River' (Vervain 'Moon River'), Verbena 'La France' (Verbena 'La France'), Anemone hupehensis 'Splendens' (Japanese anemone 'Splendens')

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Pests: Generally pest free

Diseases: Generally disease free

General care

Pruning: Cut down once flowering is finished.. REGISTER to read more...

Propagation methods: Seed. REGISTER to read more...

Verbena bonariensis (Purple top) will reach a height of 2.5m and a spread of 0.5m after 2-5 years.

Suggested uses: Prairie planting, Beds and borders, Gravel

Cultivation: Grow in moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun. In cold areas, protect with a dry winter mulch.

	This plant likes...	Garden match
Soil types:	Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types)
Soil drainage:	Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
Soil pH:	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Light:	Full Sun
Aspect:	South
Exposure:	Exposed
Hardiness:	Tender in frost (H3), Hardy (H4)

Discuss Verbena bonariensis (Purple top) with other Shoot members.

Cutting back

Question from Kevin

Re: Purple top (Verbena bonariensis) - my instructions state that they
should be 'cut down' once flowering has finished.

Last summer i didn't prune/cut back/dead head at all.

So this spring they looked a bit of a sorry state!

This week at last I 'dead headed' them, removed some dead leaves and cut
back the tall stems but only to remove broken parts of stems or obviously
'dead' parts - I didnt cut down right to the base.

They still look a bit of a mess but there is now new growth appearing both
in form of completely new stems AND new branches from the existing stems
left over from last year.

The question is in an ideal world, going back to last summer when
flowering had finished, should i have cut ALL stems down right to the base
- hence starting anew this spring. Would that achieve better results in
the long term or would that have been over doing it?

Views: 338
Replies: 3
Posted: Mon. 16th April 2012 19:00
Last reply: Sat. 21st April 2012 07:24