Hoary verbena

Description

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. Verbena stricta is native to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. Because of its versatility and hardiness it is even more widespread with the only states without this species including Oregon, California, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It is mostly found in meadows, fields, Dry sandy soils and anthropogenic biomes which include man-made or disturbed habitats. Due to the habitats Verbena stricta lives in, it is an extremely drought resistant and non-aggressive species. In ideal growing conditions it can grow up to 2'-4' with a spike topping the plant. This spike includes a densely packed cluster of ½-inch flowers. The flowers can bloom in a variety of colors with the majority of flower as a purple or lavender shade with the rare rose pink or white shade appearing. The flower includes five petals fused at the base forming a short tube. 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. As the plant ages the spike atop the plant will elongate. The Spike topping the plant will eventually seed and encapsulate tiny nutlets. The fruit are usually 2–3 mm in length when ripe. The leaves are on average two to three inches long with an opposite pattern along the stalk of the plant. The leaves have a heavy serrated edge with an oval to egg shape and a pointed tip. All leaves are covered in a dense hair and are completely stalk-less. The stems of this plant are square and are as well covered in short dense hair. The base of the stem can include a reddish color. Verbena stricta blooms in the early summer and stays flowering through the late late summer until its seeds ripen. 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. The seeds are also an important dietary portion of many small birds and mammals.