Verbena bonariensis

Tall verbena is a see-through perennial that adds lightness and movement to the garden. Its clusters of small purple flowers bloom from May to November, attracting bees and butterflies.

Verbena bonariensis is one of the most popular contemporary perennials worldwide, producing tall airy stems topped with small clusters of bright purple-violet flowers from late spring through autumn — typically May through November in the Mediterranean, with peaks in July–August. The flowers are constant butterfly and bee magnets, particularly attractive to swallowtails. The plant forms a basal rosette of dark green leaves with tall almost leafless flowering stems that allow it to be placed at the front of borders without blocking the view behind. Hardy to -10°C, drought-tolerant once established, the plant self-seeds gently in suitable conditions and is short-lived (3–4 years) but easily replaced.

Tall verbena reaches 1.2–1.8 m in flower but takes up almost no ground space, allowing it to be planted in the middle of borders without crowding neighbours. Use in airy drifts through dry borders for vertical accents that don't block views; in mass plantings along driveways for a constant purple cloud at eye level; in cottage compositions with Rosa, Lavandula and Salvia microphylla; and in large pots where the wiry stems lift the flowers high above the container rim. Pair the purple-violet flowers with the warm gold of Stipa tenuissima, the silver of Stachys byzantina, the magenta of Echinacea purpurea and the white of Gaura lindheimeri. Cut back hard in late winter — the plant resprouts vigorously from the base.