Verbena is an annual grown for its blooms, which open from spring through fall. Notably, it shrugs off deer, shrugs off dry spells, and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Verbena — the short answer
Verbena: full sun, pH 5.5–7, about 80 days to maturity.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Converted from New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and NMSU (New Mexico conditions)
- Days to Maturity
- 80 days
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 32°F
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Verbena on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether verbena actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score verbena against your land's real conditions.
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What Verbena is
Verbena grows as an annual and reaches around a foot at maturity. It blooms from spring through fall. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
Life cycle, bloom period and container suitability: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Verbena
Verbena does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. It needs around 900 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
Grown as an annual — see the growing season
Soil pH
5.5 - 7
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Full Sun
Converted from New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and NMSU (New Mexico conditions)
Drainage
well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost Kill Temperature
32°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Days to Maturity
80 days
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
GDD Required
900+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
1 ft
New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and NMSU (New Mexico conditions)
Start the season right
Plant verbena in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Verbena prefers pH 5.5 to 7. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water while it roots in
Water deeply while verbena establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Harvest at its peak
Cut verbena blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Verbena thrives
Whether verbena thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.
What grows around Verbena
Growing guides for verbena
Related plants in annual flower
Good to know
Verbena is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land is one point inside Verbena's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Verbena will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether verbena actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Verbena
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Verbena in my zone?
Verbena is grown as an annual, so a hardiness zone does not decide it — its growing season follows your last and first frost dates. Soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Verbena?
Most growers plant verbena after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Verbena need?
Verbena needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Verbena need?
Verbena prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Verbena attract pollinators?
Yes — verbena's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.