Verbena ∗ The 10 best care tips (verbena)

Origin and Distribution

Verbenas belong to the verbena family (Verbenaceae) and are therefore often referred to as "verbena". The genus is originally native to the warm regions of South America, but some species also have their origin in other parts of the world. The European wild species Verbena officinalis (verbena) has been considered a medicinal plant since ancient times and was preferably used for childbirth and injuries. The verbenas commercially available today are mostly hybrid forms and are characterized by a wide range of colors in their flowers. In addition, some are solid-seeded species - such as the Patagonian

Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) - also very popular as short-lived garden and potted plants.

use

Verbenas are primarily used as a planting of Window boxes,(€ 7.99 at Amazon *) Pots and hanging baskets are used, with a distinction being made between compact and hanging varieties. Compact and rather flat variants such as 'Vepita', 'Vectura' or 'Lindolena' come in boxes and small ones Vessels are shown to their best advantage, while shapes with long and strong shoots show their splendor best in hanging baskets unfold. Verbenas look particularly beautiful in combination with other lusciously blooming balcony classics such as vanilla flowers (Heliotropium arborescens), magic bells (Calibrachoa), Petunias (Petunia) or begonias (Begonia).

Verbenas are also very suitable for underplanting, for example rose or hibiscus tall trunks. Furthermore, the flowers make in each mixed summer flower and Perennial bed a good figure, especially in combination with roses, as a gap filler or as a border planting. A circular, colorfully planted flower bed in the middle of a lawn, for example, looks different.

Appearance and stature

We usually cultivate the frost-sensitive and warmth-loving verbenas as an annual, although some species and varieties can be overwintered. However, the effort involved is not worth it, as the flowers produce numerous seeds in autumn. These can easily be used for further propagation.

The flowers grow herbaceous, very delicate and delicate and reach different heights depending on the species and variety. The classic hybrid varieties bred for pot culture are usually between 15 and 30 centimeters high. Some variants grow upright, others creep or with drooping shoots.

The pleasantly aromatic verbena are very popular forage plants with butterflies and other insects.

leaves

The lobed resp. pinnate, cross-opposed leaves of the verbena have a serrated edge. Some varieties have rough, hairy foliage, others smooth. The square stem is characteristic of the genus. As a rule, stipules are not developed.

Blossoms and flowering period

The tender, green leaves of the verbena, however, take a back seat to their lush, multi-flowered umbels. The umbrella-like to spherical inflorescences bloom in almost all colors from white to yellow, pink, red, purple to green and brown. However, the striped or the two- to multi-colored varieties such as 'Voodoo Star', 'Lanai Twister' or 'Wicked'. Verbenas also delight with their very long flowering time, which extends from May until well into autumn. As a rule, only the first frost puts an end to the abundance of flowers.

fruit

The flowers are pollinated by insects. Then numerous nuts form that contain the seeds. You can collect these and use them again and again for re-sowing. Some types of verbena - especially the frost-hard ones such as Verbena officinalis or Verbena hastata - like to sow themselves in the bed. These verbenas are cold germers and need a cool weather period in the cold season before germinating in spring when the temperature rises.

Toxicity

Verbenas have been used as a medicinal herb for centuries, primarily for external applications such as inflammation or poorly healing wounds. Even today you can buy verbena tea and oil in drugstores and pharmacies, using these natural remedies made from the herb of the common or real iron herb (Verbena officinalis) that is native here. However, the hybrid forms available in nurseries are purely ornamental plants and are not suitable for medicinal purposes.

In principle, verbenas - regardless of the type and variety - are not poisonous, that Herbs can even be consumed and the flowers used as a decoration of summer salads and desserts will. But be careful: As with so much, the dose makes the poison. The pretty flowers contain verbenaline, a glycoside that is harmful only in large doses, which is why you should only enjoy the slightly bitter-tasting parts of the plant to a limited extent.

Which location is suitable?

Plant the verbenas in a sunny and warm location as possible, then they will bloom particularly profusely and for a long time. A south-facing location is ideal, especially on the balcony and terrace. Rain and wind do not bother at least the newer hybrid breeds, and hot locations are also tolerated well. This sun-loving flower is only unsuitable for shady places and therefore forms only a few or no blossoms in places that are too dark.
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floor

In terms of the optimal soil quality, however, verbenas are not particularly demanding. The flowers feel most comfortable in humus rich and nutrient-rich, fresh to moist, but well-drained and at best slightly acidic soil. A high-quality, compost-based one is sufficient for balcony and other tub plantings Potting soil.

Pot culture

Verbenas are ideally suited for a pot culture, after all, many of the newer hybrid varieties have been specially bred for keeping on balconies and terraces. Make sure you have good pot drainage - Clay granules or perlite in the substrate and a drainage hole at the bottom of the pot take care of this - and the regular supply of water and fertilizer. Verbenas bloom particularly profusely in warm and sunny locations, which is why a south-facing balcony is ideal for these flowers.

Prefer

You don't have to buy the pretty verbenas every year, you can reproduce them again and again from the seeds yourself. For the summer bloom, prefer the flowers from February, whereby you first have to break the sprout inhibition - Verbenas are cold germs and must therefore be kept in the refrigerator for a period of around four weeks will. And this is how you pull the small plants out of the seeds:

• Put seeds on a slightly moistened surface (e.g. B. conventional kitchen paper)
• Roll up the pad and hold it for approx. Pack in the refrigerator for four weeks
• Always keep the paper and seeds slightly moist
• Seeds must be kept cool, but must not be exposed to temperatures below 0 ° C
• Now plant the seeds or seedlings in small pots or in a bowl Growing substrate.(€ 12.99 at Amazon *)
• Now grow the seedlings at cool temperatures between 10 and 15 ° C until they can finally be planted out from mid to late May and used to rising temperatures.

It is easier if you put the seeds in one in autumn Cold frame sow and prefer them there. However, make sure that the moisture remains constant and prick out the young plants in good time.

Plant verbenas correctly

Always place the verbena in excavated soil enriched with ripe compost, potted plants, on the other hand, are placed in fresh potting soil. Mix these with clay granules and lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot Expanded clay(€ 16.35 at Amazon *) at. After planting, the root area should be mulched - for example with a mixture of bark mulch and Compost - to keep the moisture in the soil longer and keep the flowers from drying out.

What is the best time to plant?

Basically, plant verbenas throughout the season, but you should not put the mostly delicate flowers outside until the end of May. Many species and varieties are very sensitive to frost and should therefore not be exposed to any late frost.

The correct planting distance

Depending on the species and growth habit, verbenas need a planting distance of between 25 and 50 centimeters. The permanent bloomers are best planted in dense tuffs, where they then soon develop dense carpets of flowers.

Pour verbena

The permanently blooming verbena has a high water requirement, so the soil should never dry out completely. Regular watering is therefore useful for potted flowers and during warm and dry phases even for planted specimens. At the same time, however, the plant does not tolerate waterlogging, so that the soil should only be moderately moist, but never dripping wet. Verbenas in the bed are also mulched with bark, lawn clippings and / or compost so that the soil does not dry out on hot days.

Fertilize verbena properly

Verbenas are not only downright thirsty, they also have high nutritional needs. From April, provide specimens cultivated in planters with a liquid fertilizer once a week For flowering plants, on the other hand, planted flowers receive an organic compost fertilization once a month respectively. are alternatively also supplied with commercially available flowering plant fertilizers. When planting, it is also useful to excavate with compost and horn shavings or Horse manure to enrich.

Properly cut verbs

Since verbenas are usually cultivated annually, pruning is not necessary. Only the faded flower umbels should be cleaned regularly in order to stimulate the plant to develop new flower balls again and again.
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Verbena multiply

Verbenas can be propagated using seeds that you have collected or bought, although this process is a bit time-consuming due to the cold stimulus required. The propagation of cuttings is not uncomplicated either, after all, the head cuttings cut in August must be overwintered in a cool, but light, frost-free place. Only next spring do you plant the vegetatively propagated verbena in planters or into the bed.
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Overwinter

Some types of verbena are annual anyway and die off after the seeds ripen. Others, on the other hand, are basically perennial, but have to be wintered frost-free and light - only a few Verbenas, such as the native verbena, are frost hardy and can also be outside over the winter stay. The abundant flowering hybrid varieties usually available in gardening stores, on the other hand, need a lot of warmth and must not be cultivated below 0 ° C. Hibernation of these is often not worthwhile, as plants that are over the years are often quite lazy to flower. It is better to just cut cuttings and overwinter them.
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Diseases and pests

Since verbenas prefer warm locations, they often have with them, especially when it is too dry Spider mites (also: red spider) to fight whitefly or aphids. Here it helps to keep the flowers evenly moist and, if necessary, spray them occasionally with a fine atomizer. Planted specimens must be protected from snails, for example by a barrier that Mulching with sawdust respectively. Straw or the spreading of slug pellets. Furthermore, socialization with plants helps, which in turn are not particularly liked by snails, such as for example Cloves, Geraniums, phlox, Poppies, asters or begonias.

Some varieties of verbena are also quite susceptible to the real species that often occur in warm and sunny locations mildew. However, many of the newer breeds have already been bred for resistance. Yellow leaves, on the other hand, are often an indication of a nutrient deficiency, which occurs primarily on limestone soils and which you can eliminate with an iron fertilizer.

Verbenas don't bloom, what to do?

If verbenas do not want to bloom, they are either too dark or they are not adequately fertilized. The continuous bloom between May and October costs the plant a lot of strength, which is why it has a high demand for water and nutrients. In particular, potted plants must be continuously supplied with a good, balanced flowering plant fertilizer from April and throughout the entire vegetation period.

Species and varieties

There are thousands of different varieties of verbena, the flowers and growth forms of which are very different. The color spectrum is huge, although there are also many two- and multi-colored variants. The flowers can also be single or double, with a jagged or ruffled edge or without.

Under no circumstances should you confuse the popular balcony and bed flower with the lemon verbena or verveine (Aloysia citrodora), which is also known as the lemon bush. Although this species also belongs to the verbena family, it is not an iron herb. In contrast to these, lemon verbena contains an essential oil that tastes intensely of lemon and is therefore often used for teas and perfumes.

The most beautiful verbenas for balconies and beds:

• 'Scarlet': scarlet flower, drooping shoots
• 'Starfight': two-tone, pink flowers with a white border, hanging shoots
• 'Tapien': purple flowers, hanging shoots
• 'Peaches & Cream': peach-colored flowers with a gradient
• 'Lila Luzi': two-tone, blue flowers with a star-shaped white center, compact growth
• 'Bright Rose': pink flower

Also very attractive is the so-called lance verbena (Verbena hastata) with its brightly colored flower candles in red or purple. These varieties reach heights of around 100 to 120 centimeters. With a height of up to 150 centimeters, the Patagonian verbena (Verbena bonariensis) is also very tall. The species forms large, blue to blue-violet flower balls.