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Verbena officinalis
Also called Vervain, Common Verbena, European Vervain, Common Vervain, Official Vervain, Simpler's Joy, Turkey Grass
Common vervain is an upright perennial herb, up to about 70 cm tall, with small mauve two-lipped flowers in slender spikes. It is native to Europe, grows well in full sun and limey soil, and has become naturalised in North America.
Verbena officinalis, the common vervain or common verbena, is a perennial herb native to Europe.
The plant is native to Europe but is widely naturalised outside its native range, for example in North America. It prefers limey soils.
Common vervain has been held in high esteem since classical antiquity; it has long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces, and it has an equally long-standing use as a medicinal plant. Herbal capsules are used as a soporific drug in much the same way as for the better known valerian.
Glandularia aristigera · Verbena tenera · Purpletop vervain · Bigbract verbena · Brazilian vervain · Verbena canadensis · Swamp verbena · Seashore vervain · Verbena peruviana · Tuberous vervain · Vervain
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Verbena officinalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
