'Vanity' Verbena Seeds

Days to Maturity: 85 direct sow; 30 to 40 transplant

All-America Selections Winner (AAS) 2022

Fleuroselect Gold Medal

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (Verbena bonariensis)

A compact verbena, typically grown as an annual, 'Vanity' is a tender perennial (winter hardy in Zone 7 and higher) offering summer through fall interest, typically blooming until first frost. Its tight, rounded clusters of dainty purple-blue flowers sit atop slender but strong green stems, which splay in a charming, well-behaved manner, giving the plant an airy, see-through structure and a fantastical, fairylike quality. The subtly fragrant flowers make enchanting and long-lasting additions to cut arrangements. Bees and butterflies flock to the flowers in the garden, and yellow finches visit for the seeds.

A Verbena bonariensis, commonly called purpletop vervain or Brazilian verbena, 'Vanity' offers a trendy twist on this classic cottage garden favorite with its shorter stems and compact habit, making it sturdier and easier to maintain—a good candidate for a container. The plant forms a mounded rosette of serrated, lance-shaped, deep green leaves at the base, which gives it an attractive, slightly shrubby appearance. 'Vanity' is shown to best effect when massed or grouped in beds and borders and is perfect for a pollinator garden.

Easy to grow from seed and low maintenance, verbena grows best in full to partial sun and moist, well-drained soil. It thrives in fertile soils with high organic matter but tolerates a variety of soils, including clay, loam, sand, and shallow, rocky soils. The plant performs well in hot, dry conditions and stands up to wind. Verbena is bothered by few diseases or pests, including deer and rabbits. If spent blooms are not deadheaded, the plant will self-seed and spread in optimal conditions.

Direct sow verbena seed into the garden in spring after the chance of frost has passed and the soil has warmed or start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date and transplant. If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.