Beach Verbena

Glandularia maritima

Beach Verbena is native to our eastern coastline. I have only found it along the coast from Martin County north to St. Johns County. It likes a rich, yet dry soil with two inches of mulch, gravel, rocks or any dry material on the surface. It doesn’t like to lie on wet soil. Flooding, too much rain or even being too dry will kill this plant.

Beach Verbena lasts a year or two and does best in full sun and if kept a few feet from aggressive plants like Dune Sunflower. If crowded, it will grow upward as if chest bumping its opponent and may reach two feet in height. This creeping plant normally stays below six inches tall and may spread out three feet from the base.

The small rounded leaves are an inch wide and the purple flowers are in attractive clusters. This is a good plant to attract butterflies with and some of our seed eating birds. It unfortunately doesn’t come up from seed very often.

Try Beach Verbena in combination with Sunshine Mimosa, Dune Sunflower, Salvia, Monarda, Seaside Goldenrod, Coontie, Blue Curles, Spiderwort, or any other coastal plant. Just remember to give it and its neighbors room to spread. It is best to grow this plant from seed in a nursery. The older plants will gradually get viruses which are passed along with rooted cuttings.

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