Plant Image
Flowers


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Verbena hastata - swamp verbena

Synonyms: Verbena paniculata, V. pinnatifida
Other Common Names: blue verbena, blue vervain
Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub

Family: Verbenaceae


   
 
line decor
  Home   Plant Communities Plant List Search Forbs and Subshrubs Search Grasses Search Woody Plants Additional Resources About this Website
line decor
 

Click on Any Image for a Larger View

Leaves
Paul Rothrock @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Plant
Tony Frates @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial)
Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native   Life Cycle: Biennial or perennial   Similar Species: Verbena macdougalii
General Desc: Stems erect, branch above, rough-hairy; leaves opposite, stemmed, to 7 inches long, more than 3/4 inch wide, lance-shaped to narrow egg-shaped, gradually tapering to a pointed tip, coarsely toothed, often lobed near base; flowers in pencil-like spikes.
Identification notes: Clump-forming, stems stiff, square, hairy, branch above; leaves lance-like, sharply toothed; flower clusters erect, slender, pencil-like spikes of tiny, tubular, 5-lobed, densely-packed, purplish-blue flowers; flowers bloom bottom to top, a few at a time.
Height: 2 to 6 feet


Habitat

Habitat Description: Moist fields, meadows, prairies, and swamps.
Plant Communities: Riparian
Elevation: Below 4500 feet


Flower Characteristics

Color: Purplish-blue     Shape: Regular in elongated clusters     Tubular: N     Flowering Period: Jun - Oct
Description: Numerous pencil-like flower spikes branched upwards like the arms of a candelabra. Each flower spike has a ring of purplish-blue flowers; the flowers at the bottom of the spike bloom first, and the ring of flowers appears to advance upward to the tips.


Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green     Leaf Type: Simple     Leaf Shape: Narrow     Leaf Margin: Toothed     Leaf Attachment: Opposite     Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: Leaves and stems     Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves to 7 inches long, gradually become pointed, stemmed, often 3-lobed at base, and a variety of shapes, from lance-like to oval, hairless or rough hairy on both surfaces; coarsely toothed margins are deeply cut into various sized divisions.


Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Notes: Schizocarp (fruit that splits into smaller (usually 1-seeded) segments).


  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
Legal Disclaimer