Georgia Native Wildflowers

Volume 3, Issue 26
July 12, 2012
Georgia Native Wildflowers
Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’
Verbena is one of the most widely
distributed wildflowers in America. There
are about 250 species of Verbena, a handful of which are native to Georgia. The
popularity of new cultivars and hybrids
from this genus has grown tremendously
as superior selections have been introduced
in recent years. In the garden, Verbenas
offer long-season flowering and carefree
performance. Many are strongly perennial,
and can persist for many years in the right
spot. All of them prefer well-drained soil
and full sun. Many of the native Verbenas
have been reclassified as belonging to the
genus Glandularia, but in this article we
will refer to these species as Verbenas.
Table of Contents
Georgia Native
Wildflowers pg. 1
In Print pg. 3
Lockerly Trustees
Monica Webb,
President
Joe Mangum,
Vice President
Verbena canadensis, commonly
known as Clump Verbena or Rose
Robert Culberson, Ph.D.,
Verbena, is native from Virginia to Florida
Treasurer
and west to Colorado and Mexico. This
popular flower features rose-red to pink
Sherrill Jones,
tube-like flowers, with up to 20 blooms
Secretary
on each stalked spike. This species has a
clumping habit that can fill a space like a
Kathy Chandler
perennial groundcover. In ideal conditions,
David Evans
this perennial can persist indefinitely, but Steven M. Fortier, Ph.D.
Verbena canadensis
in marginal conditions, plant vigor will
Jan Flynn, Ph.D.
‘Blue Princess’
decline rapidly and will fade away. We
George Hogan, Sr.
have multiple plantings of V. canadensis
James Marshall
(Glandularia canadensis) at the
Jackie Nelson
Arboretum, all of which were propagated
Doug R. Oetter, Ph.D.
from stock collected from native
Joni Smith
populations
by
our
executive
director
Jim
Bruce
Vaughn, CFP
Verbena canadensis
Garner. Jim has collected specimens from
‘Sissinghurst’
Al Woods
native populations near the Oconee River
in Putnam, Greene, and Hancock Counties. Because of its
provenance, Mr. Garner dubbed this selection ‘Oconee’. It
boasts attractive lavender-colored flowers, glossy evergreen
foliage, and flowering over an incredibly long period from
early spring until frost. Another important cultivar from
Georgia is ‘Homestead Purple’. This extremely vigorous
hybrid was discovered by University of Georgia professors
Allan Armitage and Michael Dirr. Since its introduction in
the early 1990s, ‘Homestead Purple’ has sparked widespread
interest in all things verbena and has spurred the
introduction of over 40 new hardy types. This rampant
perennial grows to 12 inches tall with a spread of 3 feet and
is topped with a mass of bright purple blooms that start in
the spring and continue until frost. Its leaves are deep green,
scalloped, coarse-textured, and up to 4 inches long. Other
noteworthy cultivars include ‘Blue Princess’ and its variants,
Verbena canadensis ‘Biloxi Blue’
‘Biloxi Blue’, and ‘Sissinghurst’.
Verbena rigida, otherwise called Sandpaper Verbena, is a short-lived, evergreen variety that grows to about 12 inches tall. Its flowers are purple and bloom
in clusters from summer to fall. This is the most common purple flower seen along
Georgia roadsides this time of year, and it can be used in a flower border or planted
as a groundcover to control erosion on banks and slopes. Plant V. rigida in welldrained soil in full sun. Goodness Grows Nursery in Lexington, GA offers the
cultivar ‘Touch of Style’ that features tight clusters of small, blue-violet flowers that
begin opening in late spring and continue to appear into the fall if seed-heads are
routinely removed. Plants have stiff, coarse, medium-green leaves and form dense
mounds. Once established, they will perform well in poorer, dryer soils.
Verbena rigida
‘Touch of Style’
Verbena tenuisecta
‘Decked Out’
Verbena tenuisecta, or Moss Verbena, is named
such because of its fine-textured foliage and mat-forming
growth habit. Although it is originally native to South
America, it has naturalized in Georgia and other southern
states, and it makes an excellent choice for the front of a
flower border. Only growing 6 to 12 in. tall, Moss
Verbena features finely cut leaves and delicate flowers
borne in clusters. Selections of this species have been
made in a wide range of colors. As with the other
Verbenas, this species does best in full sun and well
drained soils. This is a drought tolerant species, making
it an ideal plant for your Southern garden. ‘Decked Out’
is a hardy cultivar of this species available from Plant
Delights Nursery and is one of many Verbenas they offer.
The Verbenas are hard to beat for reliable color
and vigorous spreading habit. Drought tolerance, deer
resistance, and long flowering period make these a great
choice for a sunny spot.
In Print: A Queen’s Garden
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603), a new style of landscape architecture emerged
from the English Renaissance that emphasized formal elements that created outdoor rooms and orderly yet intimate
settings. Gardens of the Elizabethan Era displayed a timeless elegance that continues to be expressed in many of the great
gardens of Britain. In this country there are also some noteworthy examples of this style, including Elizabethan Gardens
at Roanoke Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Queen Elizabeth I’s remarkable landscapes have inspired countless
garden enthusiasts and even inspired one author to write a book about horticulture during the reign of the Virgin Queen.
From the publisher:
Taking a fresh and original approach to the life and
reign of Queen Elizabeth I, this book tells the incredible
story of her great passion for gardens, and how the two
most powerful men in England during her reign fought a
decade-long duel for their queen's affections by creating
lavish gardens for her. It chronicles how, in their quest
to woo the queen and outdo each other, Robert Dudley,
Earl of Leicester, and William Cecil, Baron of Burghley,
competed for Elizabeth’s favor by laying out innovative
and extravagant pleasure grounds at their palaces for
when she came to visit. As she played one off against the
other, they created gorgeous palaces and landscapes that
amazed the world. The book also describes how others in
England and abroad followed Dudley’s and Cecil’s leads
and how the queen’s love of plants made gardeners of
courtiers, statesmen, and soldiers. This meticulously
researched account reveals how Elizabeth’s enthusiasm
for horticulture changed the world, encouraging
gardeners and designers to create landscapes inspired by
the spirit of the Elizabethan garden.
Queen Elizabeth in the Garden: A Story of Love, Rivalry, and the
Spectacular Gardens by Trea Martyn is sure to delight those interested in
Elizabethan gardens and architecture, as well as those with interest in the
Renaissance era.
Gardens at Hampton Court Palace in England
Queen Elizabeth in the Garden: A Story of
Love, Rivalry, and Spectacular Gardens, by
Trea Martyn | Bluebridge | 320 pages | January
2012, ISBN-13: 9781933346366 | list price:
$22.95
Elizabethan Gardens at Roanoke Island