Verbena stricta, also known as hoary verbena[1] or hoary vervain,[2] is a small purple wildflower native to a large region of the central United States.[3]
Verbena stricta is native to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.[4] Because of its versatility and hardiness, the species is even more widespread; the only states where it does not appear are Oregon, California, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.[4] It is mostly found in meadows; fields;[3] dry, sandy soils;[2] and anthropogenic biomes, which include man-made or disturbed habitats.[4] Due to the habitats V. stricta lives in, it is an extremely drought-resistant and nonaggressive species.[4]
In ideal growing conditions it can grow up to 2–4 feet (0.6–1.2 m)[4] with a spike topping the plant.[5] This spike includes a densely packed cluster of half-inch (1 cm) flowers.
The flowers can bloom in a variety of colors, the majority of them purple or a lavender shade,[4] with rose pink or white rarely appearing.[5] The flower includes five petals fused at the base, forming a short tube.[5] The petal lobes are unequal in size and length, with the two later lobes being the largest and a notched lobe at the top of the bottom lobe.[5] As the plant ages, the spike atop the plant will elongate. The spike topping the plant will eventually seed and encapsulate tiny nutlets.[5] The fruit is usually 0.08–0.12 inches (2–3 mm) in length when ripe.[3]
The leaves are, on average, 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) long with an opposite pattern along the stem of the plant.[5] The leaves have a heavy serrated edge with an oval to egg shape and a pointed tip. All leaves are covered in dense hair and are completely stalkless.[5] The stems of this plant are square and are also covered in short, dense hair. The base of the stem can include a reddish color.
Verbena stricta blooms in the early summer[2] and stays flowering through September until its seeds ripen.[4]
Verbena stricta is an extremely important component of many butterfly gardens, as the leaves are the ideal food for the larval form of the common buckeye butterfly.[4] The seeds are also an important dietary portion of many small birds and mammals.[4]
Verbena stricta, also known as hoary verbena or hoary vervain, is a small purple wildflower native to a large region of the central United States.
