The Argentine vervain is a very popular perennial because of its long stems and filigree flowers. On top of that, she is still quite easy to care for.
Argentine Vervain is also known as Patagonian Vervain and its Latin name Verbena bonariensis. This name already signals that this is a plant from the Verbenaceae family. The verbena family includes a wide variety of plant types, some of which are not only used as bedding and decorative balcony plants, but also as medicinal plants or as pretty cut flowers. All interested hobby gardeners can find out in detail below what the Argentine Verbena is all about.
Profile on Argentine vervain
Vervain is widespread, especially in Argentina, which explains the name of the plant accordingly. The perennial, herbaceous plant is characterized by a loose, bushy and clump-forming habit. It reaches a height of 80 to 100 centimeters and only flowers from late summer, but well into autumn. From July to October, the herb also attracts attention with a width of a good 35 to 40 centimeters. With its purple-violet flowers, the plant is mainly used in ornamental gardens. This moderately frost hardy herb can also be planted in perennial gardens. Even as a cut flower, Argentine vervain has a certain charm. The plant is also often found on bee and insect pastures.
The verbena family also includes a good 250 other species. The summer perpetual bloomers can be used in a variety of ways as container plants or ground cover, which also applies in part to the Argentine verbena, which is known under the other trivial names “wish herb”, “pigeon weed” and “cat blood herb”. Many hobby gardeners use this plant mainly for decorative reasons in their garden. But the Argentine vervain can also attract attention with its beguiling scent.
Since this verbena variety is extremely popular with many hobby gardeners, new, much smaller cultivars have now been added. theFor example, variety Lollipop is called Little Patagonian Vervain. Because it only reaches a height of 60 centimeters and is therefore much more compact and smaller than the regular Argentine vervain. Thus, the Lollipop variety can also be planted wonderfully in the front rows of a bed. The cloud verbena is also a subspecies with a noticeably more compact habit, which means it can be planted in a variety of ways in your own garden. The plant also branches heavily and attracts everyone's attention with its slightly larger and therefore more impressive flowers.
The perfect location for the Argentine Vervain
❍ outdoors:
The Argentinian verbena appreciates sunny and even full sun as the perfect location in the garden. Certain requirements must also be met with regard to soil quality so that the herb can thrive magnificently. These are as follows:
- sandy soil
- highly drained soil
- fresh soils that are not too dry
A normal garden soil, which is allowed to be a little humus, meets the requirements of the plant very well. Even a slightly acidic soil does not bother the plant. As long as waterlogging can be avoided, the soil can be slightly damp. Because too much dryness does not get the Argentine vervain in the long run. In addition, the perfect location for the herb should be as sheltered as possible from the wind.
❍ in the bucket:
If you want to plant the Argentine vervain in a planter, you can use the so-called standard soil from specialist shops. Even very sandy soil or soil with a high content of loam or clay can be upgraded with appropriate care so that Argentine vervain can grow there without problems. For example, you should enrich light sandy soil with garden compost or other organic materials to achieve the required soil quality. Heavy clay or loam soils can be loosened up with grit, sand or other fine-grained materials. You should simply undermine these to achieve the correct soil conditions for the Argentine Verbena.
How to properly plant Argentine vervain
You should only plant the plant outdoors from mid-May, i.e. after the ice saints, as it does not do well in frost. When planting, it is best to proceed as follows:
- Place the root ball in a bucket of water to soak it upcan.
- Then remove stones, roots and weeds from the planting site.
- Now loosen the soil properly (use a rake).
- Carry out soil improvement measures as described (only if necessary).
- Now dig a planting hole that is twice the size of the root ball in both directions.
- Now enrich the bottom of the planting hole with horn meal, compost, complete fertilizer or horn shavings.
- In order to avoid waterlogging, place fine-grained material in the planting hole as a drainage layer.
- Close the planting hole with soil and gently press down the substrate with your hand.
- Then water the plants sufficiently.
When planting, the location and the available space determine the number of plants that can be placed next to each other at the correct planting distance. Three to five plants together create a very beautiful picture. Even 50 specimens of Argentine vervain can be very impressive. With a hanging basket, on the other hand, there is usually no more space than for two or three of these plants. The ideal planting distance is generally around 30 to 40 centimeters on both sides.
Which neighboring plants are suitable for Argentine vervain?
In addition to the following plants, the Argentine Verbena is particularly effective in the garden bed:
- Roses
- Switchgrass
- Coneflower
- Girl's Eye
- various tall grasses
Weak-growing and very low-growing plants, on the other hand, do not go so well with Argentine vervain. Because the herb would simply overgrow them and at the same time ensure that the surrounding plants cannot thrive so well. The situation is different with the newer, low-growing varieties of verbena, which also get along very well with plant neighbors that are not quite as tall. Or the Argentine vervain is simply planted in a large cluster, with only three to four of these plants fitting in one square meter.
How to properly care for Argentine vervain
❍ casting:
Argentinian Verbena does not like too much dryness. Therefore, you must water the herb sufficiently, which should be done especially in the morning hours. Especially because the plant loves a sunny location, verbena is a very thirsty plant. The more regularly and abundantly you water the herb without waterlogging, the more the plant will grow and the more flowers the Argentinian verbena can form.
IncludingIt is important to remember that plants that are kept in a window box or in a tub on the patio need more water than bedding plants. So they need to be watered more often, preferably in the morning or evening hours and not in the blazing sun.
❍ Fertilize:
The Argentine verbena is not only very thirsty, but also requires sufficient nutrients in the form of fertilizer. You should fertilize the herb at least once a month, but preferably every two weeks. Even with the correct fertilization of the Argentine Verbena, the herb can show a higher nutrient requirement when it is planted in planters. As a container plant, the Argentine verbena should be supplied with a suitable liquid fertilizer from specialist retailers once a week. For bedding plants, an organic-mineral fertilizer mixture is just as suitable as a complete fertilizer.
❍ Remove faded flowers regularly:
Not only correct watering and fertilizing ensure that the plant can thrive magnificently during the growth phase of the Argentine Verbena. Rather, it makes sense to clean out all withered leaves and flowers every few days. Because then the plant can soon shine again in all its glory. But please leave the stems standing so that the plant does not lose its stability!
❍ Pruning:
In the case of Argentine vervain, the long, very thin stalks hook into each other thanks to their small hairs. If these stems were to be cut back, the plant would become unstable given its impressive growth height of 1.5 meters, so that pruning should be avoided for the most part. This should only be done in November in preparation for the forthcoming hibernation. Then cut the herb to a height of five to a good ten centimeters above the ground.
❍ Overwintering:
Provided that the plant is overwintered correctly, you can enjoy Argentine verbena for up to three years in a row. To do this, the plant should be cut back just above the ground after it has faded in autumn. A sufficiently thick layer of brushwood, straw or leaves also serves as frost protection.
If you have placed the herb in a planter, this bucket should be kept in a bright and frost-free room over the winter. If this is not possible, the pot should at least be placed in a protected corner and wrapped in foil for additional protectionto wrap Frost from below doesn't stand a chance if you use a block made of wood or styrofoam. The plants do not need to be fertilized during the winter. However, they must not dry out completely, so small amounts of water are required from time to time.
How to propagate Argentine vervain
The Argentine vervain can not only be propagated by self-sowing and sowing. Rather, cuttings can also be used for propagation. Self-sowing works by forming what are known as Klausen fruits. If these fruits burst open, the seeds of the herb are distributed in the immediate vicinity. The wind, the animals in the garden and the hobby gardener with his shoes all contribute to the distribution of the seeds in the garden. However, the Argentine vervain does not reproduce in this way as a single variety.
If varietal propagation is important to you, you should rather use seeds from specialist shops. You should know that the Argentine vervain is a so-called cold germ. This means the seeds won't germinate in the fall as they wouldn't be hardy anyway. During the winter, the seeds enter a kind of hibernation, which is also known as dormancy. So it makes a lot of sense not to sow the seeds until February or March. Do this as follows:
- Spread germs on absorbent, damp paper.
- The germination phase lasts about two to four weeks.
- Cover the seeds with foil if the room temperature is normal.
- Then roll up the paper with the seeds and refrigerate for four to six weeks.
- The seeds need a cold stimulus to thrive. The refrigerator delivers this stimulus at an operating temperature of zero to a maximum of four degrees Celsius.
- Never let the seeds dry out in the room or in the refrigerator during germination.
- When the first seedlings appear, you can plant them in a pot. Use growing substrate that is as nutrient-rich as possible.
- Then place the pot in a place where the temperature does not exceed twelve degrees Celsius. In addition, the location should be as bright as possible.
Now the Argentine verbena forms its first leaves relatively quickly. However, it usually takes until mid-May for the root system of the plants to be sufficiently developed for them to be planted in beds. Also a planting in aPlanting container, such as in a tub, is now possible using conventional substrate of the soil quality already described. You have to make sure that you gradually get the Argentinian verbena used to the warmer temperatures so that the plant does not die.
If you don't want to multiply Argentine vervain in the fridge, you can sow the seeds in a cold frame or in a special seed tray. However, this should already be done in autumn, outdoors, so that nature can provide the much-needed cold stimulus there. This method also means less work as all you have to do is make sure you transplant each young plant into its own nursery pot at the correct time. It also makes sense to cut off the tips of the young plants from a height of eight to ten centimeters. Because then the herb grows back in a particularly nice and bushy way.
Pruning the Argentine verbena as a cut flower
As already mentioned, verbena is also very popular as a cut flower. If you want to decorate your living space with this cut flower, the best way to cut off the plant is as follows:
- Prune the plant early in the morning if possible.
- Only cut off the parts where the buds have not yet opened.
- Remove the lower leaves.
- Cut the stalks of the Argentine verbena at an angle.
- Add room temperature water and some sugar to the verbena in the flower vase.
- Be careful not to make the rest of the plant too unstable by cutting it off.
Detecting and combating pests and diseases on Argentine vervain
In general, the Argentine verbena is a very hardy plant that rarely suffers from pests. However, if the soil is too shady or too moist, fungal infestation and mildew can occur. Therefore, please pay attention to the suitable location for the Argentine vervain. There are also verbena varieties that have been shown to be resistant to powdery mildew. So it can make sense if you decide on one of these varieties when you buy it.