Verbena Companion Plants – Tips On What To Plant With Verbena
Verbena is a fabulous choice for low, wide coverage in dazzling, bright colors. Verbena is a perennial down to USDA zone 6. It’s very short lived, though, so even if it can survive the winter in your area, it will have to be replaced every two or three years. Many gardeners in colder climates simply treat it as an annual, since it flowers very quickly and vigorously even in its first year of growth. So if you’re going to plant verbena, what are some good verbena companion plants? Keep reading to learn more about what to plant with verbena.
Verbena Companion Plants
Companion planting can be based on a few things. One major reason to place certain plants near each other is pest management. Some plants naturally repel certain pests or attract their natural predators. These are best grown near other plants that tend to suffer from those pests. Verbena, especially if it is unhealthy or neglected, can often fall prey to spider mites and thrips. Some good companion plants for verbena that repel spider mites are dill, cilantro, and garlic. If you want to stick to flowers in your flower bed, however, mums and shasta daisies are also good verbena companions because of their ability to drive spider mites away and draw in their predators. Basil is said to deter thrips.
What to Plant with Verbena
Beyond pest management, another important thing to consider when picking companion plants for verbena is growing conditions. Verbena thrives in hot, sunny, dry weather. If it’s exposed to too much shade or water, it can easily fall prey to powdery mildew. It is because of this, the best verbena companions are those that also like it hot, sunny, and dry. Also, keep color and height in mind when picking companion plants for verbena. Depending upon variety, verbena comes in shades of white, pink, red, purple, and blue. It never tends to get more than a foot (31 cm.) high. Choosing a color palate for your garden is really up to your own taste, but some flowers that pair well with verbena include marigolds, nasturtiums, and zinnias.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.
-
Climate Change And Pests: Do Warmer Winters Mean More Pests?
Warmer climates can result in an increase of some pests and decrease of others, which isn’t always a good thing. Here's how to protect your garden.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
What Is A Water Wick? How To Use One To Keep Houseplants Hydrated While You’re Away
A water wick for plants will give you a worry-free break if you need to leave your plant babies for a while. It’s easy to set up and pretty much runs itself.
By Amy Grant
-
Trailing Verbena Care: Tips For Growing Trailing Verbenas
Learn more about trailing verbena plants to determine whether or not this flowering annual is ideal for your flower border.
By Tonya Barnett
-
Rose Verbena Care: How To Grow A Rose Verbena Plant
Rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis) is a hardy plant that with very little effort on your part, produces aromatic, rosy pink or purple blooms from late spring to late summer. Interested in growing rose verbena in your garden this year? Click here to learn how.
By Mary H. Dyer
-
Groundcover Verbena Varieties – Can You Use Verbena For Groundcover
Delicate and pretty, verbena plants make a great groundcover, especially if you need to fill an empty space quickly.
By Liz Baessler
-
Growing Verbena Plants – Getting To Know Verbena Plant Varieties
Verbena is a popular plant for flower beds, but there are so many different types of verbena, all with varying properties and appearances. To make this great plant a part of your garden, learn more about the different kinds of verbena in this article.
By Mary Ellen Ellis
-
Verbena Plant Information: Are Verbena And Lemon Verbena The Same Thing
You may have used lemon verbena in the kitchen and seen a plant labeled 'verbena' in a garden center. You may have encountered the essential oil known as 'lemon verbena' or 'verbena oil.' So are verbena and lemon verbena the same? Find out here.
By Ilana Goldowitz Jimenez
-
Verbena Seed Germination: How To Grow Verbena From Seed
Verbena seed germination times depend upon the variety, so don't get discouraged. However, knowing how to grow verbena from seed will greatly improve the chances of sprouting. This article can help with that.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
Verbena Seed Harvest: Learn How To Collect Verbena Seeds
There is a trick on how to collect verbena seeds so they are just ripe but have not released from the pods. Knowing the right time for verbena seed harvest will save you some frustration later on and help ensure germination. Learn more in this article.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
Is Verbena Annual Or Perennial: Perennial And Annual Verbena Varieties
Trailing verbenas are a common sight in annual hanging baskets, yet many gardeners wonder is verbena annual or perennial? It is both actually. Click the following article to learn about annual vs. perennial verbena varieties.
By Darcy Larum