Blue verbena

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Blue verbena infloresence

Blue verbena leaves

Blue verbena

Blue verbena

Blue verbena leaf

Blue verbena inflorescence

Blue verbena habit

Blue verbena habit

Blue verbena leaf

Blue verbena inflorescence

Blue verbens

Morphology

Stem

Erect, 4-angled, usually branched above, rough hairy.

Leaves

Opposite, simple, stalked, lanceolate to ovate, 1.5 to 7 inches long, .75 to 2.5 inches wide, green above, gray-green pubescent below, veins prominently pinnate; margins coarsely toothed; tips tapered to sharp points; smaller leaves in axils of stem leaves.

Inflorescence

Spikes, narrow, stiffly erect, slender, 2 to 6 inches long, many-flowered, terminal, elongate in fruit.

Flower

5-parted; calyces 5-lobed, pubescent, tips pointed; corollas bluish purple or rarely white, less than 1/4 inch wide, lobes 5, pubescent outside.

Fruit

4 nutlets, tiny, reddish brown, each 1-seeded.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist meadows, near springs and seep areas, borders of woods and thickets, stream banks, and roadsides, most abundant on gravelly or heavy loam soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans used blue verbena to treat colds, coughs, and digestive disorders, and made a tea with the leaves. Sparrows and finches will consume the seeds.

Additional Notes