Walton's Plant Library

Group/Class:  Cake Pops Series

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

This variety is a vigorous grower producing volumes of lavender flowers; very impressive when massed; stems and leaves tend to be rigid and upright; mounded-trailing habit is perfect for containers, hanging baskets and borders; heat and humidity tolerant

Ornamental Features

Cake Pops® Purple Verbena is smothered in stunning clusters of lavender flowers at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. Its deeply cut ferny leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Cake Pops® Purple Verbena is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Cake Pops® Purple Verbena is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Cake Pops® Purple Verbena will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Cake Pops® Purple Verbena is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.