This short-lived herbaceous perennial is a member of the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that also includes teak and lantana. It is native to open grasslands and prairies from Wisconsin to California, south to Georgia and Mexico. Other common names include prairie verbena, purple prairie verbena, and moradilla, and alfombrilla. Plants grow 8-12″ high and have branched stems with bristly hairs and finely pinnately dissected leaves. The leaves are .75 to 2.4″ long and are hairy. Rounded clusters of purple, violet, or pink flowers appear from spring into fall and give way to nutets. Plants freely reseed but are not usually invasive. The genus name, Glandularia, comes from the Latin word glandula meaning little nuts and refers to the way the glands on the leaves and sepals feel when palpated. The specific epithet is from the Latin words bi meaning two and pinna, meaning feather, and refers to the twice divided leaves in a pattern resembling a feather.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Rounded clusters of purple, violet, or pink in spring to fall
Size: 3-12″ H 12-18″ W
Light: Full sun but tolerates part shade.
Soil: Average, medium moist to dry, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 5-8
Care: Cut back in mid summer to tidy appearance and encourage fall rebloom
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Seed
Companion Plants: California poppy, salvia, sundrop, gaillardia
Photo Credit: iNaturalist
Karen Meyers