Verbenas

Julie Lanteri

Good morning,

i've been growing verbena bonariensis for a few years and it has become my favourite weed. Last year i bought verbena rigida, verbena bampton, homestead purple (overwintered in a sheltered spot) and seeds of hastata (but it seems that i have been looking after a grassy weed instead).

Rigida didn't make it through the winter. Yesterday i noticed a little seedling nearby, slightly different to bonariensis. Yeah, i get my trowel to dig it up carefully and horror, it comes with a massive nasty looking runner! (Think mint and ground elder ????) It's definitely verbena leaves but it was a bit of a shock to find it popping out a good 40cm away, dangerously close to other plants... 

Sooo.... What is the deal with those verbenas, everybody raves about them but if i'm going to introduce a spreading monster, i want to know about it! Bampton seems well behaved so far and i don't know what to think of homestead purple (Spreading overground because it's trailing variety or underground runners?)

thanks

darren636

I love invasive plants, its a great problem to have

 Cold and wet winters usually take out the mature verbenas, leaving you space and seedlings.

Julie Lanteri

 I just didn't expect runners! I don't like surprises and i'm a bit of a control freak... but my official excuse is that i grow fruits and veg mixed in so i mainly need plants that stay put. (i do have free for all zones where i put the thugs, far away from strwberries and beans)

thank you Verdun. I'll keep an eye out for rigida and dig it up. the other two can stay for now but any sign of runner invasion and they'll be out too! I just wish all plant labels had accurate info, clump or spreading, how hard is that?

Last edited: 15 May 2016 07:47:21