Verbena is a fabulous choice for low, wide coverage in dazzling, bright colors. Verbena is a perennial down to USDA zone 6. But it doesn’t last long, so even if it makes it through the winter in your area, you’ll have to get a new one every two or three years. Many people who live in colder areas just treat it as an annual because it flowers so quickly and strongly in its first year. What are some good plants to plant with verbena? Read on to find out more about what to plant with verbena.
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. You can still grow flowers in your flower bed with verbena, though. Mums and shasta daisies are good choices because they keep spider mites away and attract the animals that eat them. Basil is said to deter thrips.
With its bright colors and carefree growth, verbena is a garden favorite for many. Its clusters of small vibrant blooms on trailing stems create vivid carpets of color. Verbena thrives in full sun and heat making it ideal for hot, dry climates. This versatility also means verbena combines beautifully with a diverse range of companion plants.
But with so many types of verbena, from upright to trailing varieties, it can be tricky to settle on the perfect plant pairings Read on as we explore ideal companion plants for verbena varieties, design tips, and combinations to highlight verbena’s vivid hues
Pairing Verbena Varieties with Companion Plants
When combining verbena with other plants, consider factors like sunlight needs, height, bloom time, and color. Here are some top companions for common verbena types:
Trailing Verbenas
These low, spreading verbenas are ideal for containers, hanging baskets, and garden edges. Good companions include:
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Sweet Romance® lavender – Similar growth habit and purple tones
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Pugster Blue® butterfly bush – Complementary blue flowers
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Oso Easy Lemon Zest® rose – Bright yellow contrasts vibrantly
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Garden GirlsTM Party Girl phlox – Taller pink blooms rise above
Upright Verbenas
The taller, mounded verbena varieties work well in beds and borders with:
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Marigolds – Cheerful orange/yellow hues next to verbena
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Zinnias – Vivid reds/pinks and bold, single blooms
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Blanket flowers (Gaillardia) – Bicolor daisy-like flowers
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Nicotiana – Elegant, dangling white or lime blossoms
Moss Verbena
This trailing succulent groundcover pairs nicely with:
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Sedums – Similar low growth and hardy nature
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Thyme – Both appreciate hot, dry conditions
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Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) – Contrasting yellow blooms
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Dianthus – Low-growing, colorful perennials
Design Tips for Combining Verbena Companions
When planning your verbena companion plants, keep these design principles in mind:
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Consider bloom time – Combine early, mid, and late bloomers for continuous color. Verbenas bloom spring to fall.
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Mix heights and growth habits – Trailing verbenas pop next to taller upright plants.
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Repeat colors across plantings – Echo verbena hues in other flowers for cohesion.
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Contrast textures – Pair verbena’s delicate leaves with plants with finer or bolder foliage.
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Create focal points – Use verbena’s vivid colors to draw the eye where desired.
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Provide proper conditions – Ensure all plants thrive in sun, soil, moisture, and climate.
Showcase Verbena Hues with Companion Plantings
One benefit of thoughtfully combining verbena with other plants is how it intensifies both blooms. Here are palette ideas to make verbena colors shine:
Yellow Verbenas
Bicolor yellow and white verbenas glow against:
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Burgundy coleus, geraniums, or sweet potato vine
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Deep purple angelonia, petunias, or pansies
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Hot pink zinnias, celosia, or gomphrena
Orange Verbenas
Vibrant orange verbenas dazzle beside:
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Dark blue salvia, lobelia, or morning glories
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Lime green sweet potato vine, coleus, or licorice plant
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Magenta-purple fountain grass, Persian shield, or canna lily
Pink Verbenas
Soft pink verbenas look lovely with:
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Silver-gray dusty miller, artemisia, or Russian sage
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Pure white alyssum, lobelia, or Shasta daisies
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Scarlet red zinnias, celosia, or geraniums
Purple Verbenas
Rich purple verbenas complement:
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Yellow coreopsis, rudbeckia, or yarrow
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Hot orange or red marigolds, zinnias, or lantana
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Silvery foliage like dusty miller, lamb’s ear, or artemesia
Top Companion Plant Combinations with Verbena
Here are some of my favorite verbena pairings to inspire your designs:
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Trailing verbena + Sweet Romance® lavender + Oso Easy Lemon Zest® rose
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Upright verbena + blanket flowers + Firewitch dianthus
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Moss verbena + aurinia + blue star creeper
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Orange verbena + Purple Fountain grass + Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum® petunia
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Pink verbena + Snowstorm® santolina + red zinnias
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Lavender verbena + yellow lantana + purple heart plant
With some planning, you can easily spotlight verbena’s vivid blooms against a backdrop of complementary companion plants. This cheery annual provides months of color that only intensifies when paired thoughtfully. Try these combinations to give your garden sustained beauty and verbena’s hues maximum impact.
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. Because of this, verbena grows best with plants 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. That being said, you can pick any colors you want for your garden. However, marigolds, nasturtiums, and zinnias all look great with verbena.
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FAQ
What plants pair with verbena?
Does verbena prefer sun or shade?
Will verbena spread?
Does verbena do better in pots or the ground?
Is a verbena an annual or perennial?
Verbena is a genus of hardy perennial plants that have come a long way from their conventional garden use as summer annuals! These butterfly magnets give new meaning to the term ‘summer color’, since most verbena selections bloom for months.
Does verbena bloom all summer?
When planted in proper verbena growing conditions, expect blooms the first season. Continued blooms throughout the summer are possible if the gardener keeps the plant trimmed back. Some are hesitant to remove parts of the plant regularly, but this is often necessary when planting verbena for summer blooms.
Are Verbena flowers poisonous if eaten?
Verbena is a rather large family of plants, and there is a lot of diversity within this family, especially when it comes to the toxicity of the plants. Verbena plants are not poisonous to people. The plants are generally safe, although some varieties are toxic to animals. For instance, purple top verbena is toxic to animals, but most trailing