Practical
Plants

Verbena hastata

American Blue Vervain

a perennial member of the Verbena genus in the family Verbenaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Verbena
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Spread
0.6 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked[9]. The seed can be roasted and ground into a powder or used whole as a piñole[2][3][4][9]. Pleasantly bitter, some of this bitterness can be removed by leeching the flour[4]. The leaves are used as a tea substitute[3][4][9].

Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves and roots are antiperiodic, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary[10][7][12][8]. The roots are more active than the leaves[8]. The plant is used in the treatment of stomach aches, gravel, worms and scrofula[10][9]. An infusion of the roots, leaves or seeds has been used in the early stages of fevers[9]. A snuff made from the dried flowers has been used to treat nose bleeds[9].

Product or use
Antiperiodic
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Vermifuge
Product or use
Vulnerary

Environment

Range
N. America - Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Florida, and from California to British Columbia.
Habitat
Swales, damp thickets and shores[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse or cold frame and only just cover the seed[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring. Basal cuttings in early summer. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any moderately fertile well-drained but moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[1][6]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  7. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  8. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  9. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  10. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  11. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

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