Verbena bracteata
Bigbract verbena
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Verbena bracteata (Bigbract verbena) is a native California herb in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by prostrate habit, thick spikes, and large bracts.
Bigbract verbena is a California native annual herb found in the California Ranges, Great Valley, southern Coast Ranges, southwestern California, Great Basin, and Desert regions in open, disturbed places and near pond or lake margins at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces white to lavender or blue flowers in dense spikes 6 to 10 millimeters wide. Growing with prostrate to decumbent stems 8 to 30 centimeters long, it spreads out with few to many stems emerging from its base. Its leaves are roughly hairy, oblanceolate, 1 to 3 centimeters long, with coarsely serrated edges tapering to a flat petiole. The tiny fruits measure 1 to 2 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are prostrate habit, thick spikes, and large bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, disturbed places, pond or lake margins
Elevation: < 2200 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Riverside, Orange, Ventura, Kern, San Diego, Monterey, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Lassen, Amador, Mono, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Madera, Sierra, Kings, El Dorado
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Verbena bracteata blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Glandularia: Verbena has nearly regular flowers; Glandularia has more obviously lobed flowers (often treated as same genus).; vs Phacelia: Verbena has tubular flowers with 5-toothed calyx; Phacelia has bowl-shaped flowers with coiled inflorescence.; vs Salvia: Verbena has nearly regular flowers; Salvia has distinctly two-lipped flowers with mint-family square stems.; vs Limonium: Verbena has tubular flowers producing nutlets; Limonium has papery flowers producing capsules.; vs Lavandula: Verbena has nearly regular small flowers; Lavandula has dense spikes of purple flowers with aromatic foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Verbena bracteata native to California?
Yes. Verbena bracteata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Verbena bracteata bloom?
Verbena bracteata blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Verbena bracteata grow?
Verbena bracteata occurs in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Riverside, Orange, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of < 2200 m.
What plant family does Verbena bracteata belong to?
Verbena bracteata is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
What habitat does Verbena bracteata grow in?
Verbena bracteata grows in Open, disturbed places, pond or lake margins.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.