How to grow garden verbena (Verbena × hybrida)

Verbena × hybrida · verbena, vervain

Garden verbena (Verbena × hybrida) — bedding verbena, a hybrid grown as an annual for beds, pots and hanging baskets — mounding, trailing or upright, about 30 cm tall, with rounded clusters of small star-shaped flowers in purple, violet, red, pink, peach or white from early summer to the frosts. Garden verbena grows best in full sun. Water it about every 3 days while it grows.

Updated: October 28, 2026

When to plant garden verbena?

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Quick facts

Type	Flower
Latin name	Verbena × hybrida
Family	Verbenaceae
Also called	verbena, vervain
Planted as	young plants from a nursery
Life span	grown for one season
Planting season	spring
Light	Full sun
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for planting	from 12 °C
First flowers	21 days after growth starts
Flowering lasts	120 days
Grown in	Open ground, At home

How long does garden verbena take from planting to flowering?

From planting to the first flowers: about 21 days, or 3 weeks.

Step	Day
Planting	0
Growth starts	0
First flowers	21
End of flowering	141

Days count from the day of sowing or planting, by the figures of the card.

Where does garden verbena grow?

836 records of the plant in gardens, fields and the wild worldwide; most photos come from United States, Honduras, Netherlands, Russia, and Brazil.

World map: where garden verbena has been recorded — Darker green means more records. Photos are real observations from those countries — tap one to see it. Map and records: GBIF.org (2026-10-28), © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap. Photo: Robert Guralnick, Jannat Kainth, -235594152 (CC BY / CC0).

Garden verbena, United States — Darker green means more records. Photos are real observations from those countries — tap one to see it. Map and records: GBIF.org (2026-10-28), © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap. Photo: Robert Guralnick, Jannat Kainth, -235594152 (CC BY / CC0).

Garden verbena care by growth stage

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), 45 days into the stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 2 days	—	—
Flowering	every 2 days	—	potassium, 10 days into the stage; potassium, 40 days into the stage; potassium, 70 days into the stage; potassium, 100 days into the stage

Growing notes

Light

Needs full sun all day; in shade it flowers poorly and gets mildew.

Soil

Well-drained soil that never stays soggy; avoid cold, frost-prone and crowded spots with poor air flow.

Care

Usually bought as small potted or plug plants in spring; plant out after the last frost, 25–30 cm apart, and pinch the shoot tips at planting for bushier plants. Keep moist for the first few weeks, then water deeply once a week in dry weather, at the base — wet leaves invite disease; pots may need water daily in heat. Beds need little feed — a light complete fertiliser in spring and after trimming. Pots get a potassium-rich liquid feed from a month after planting. Deadhead to keep it blooming; if flowering slows in summer, cut the plant back by about a quarter, water and feed lightly — it reflowers in 2–3 weeks. Overwatering rots the roots; watch for thrips, leafhoppers, spider mites and powdery mildew. To keep a favourite, root cuttings in late summer and overwinter them frost-free.

Pests and diseases of Garden verbena

4 problems are recorded for garden verbena; each has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Garden verbena: all pests and diseases with photos

Diseases

Grey mould

Pests

Plant lists it is in

What to grow on a windowsill or balcony

Part of: Garden flowers · Long-flowering plants

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.