Verbena hastata
Blue vervain
(c) Ryan Sorrells, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Verbena hastata (Blue vervain) is a native California herb in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by tall erect habit, few spikes per cluster, and dense fruiting spikes.
Blue vervain is a California native perennial found in the Great Valley, central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, and North Coast Ranges in wet places and marshes at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces blue to violet flowers in dense spikes 3 to 15 centimeters long. Growing with one to two erect stems 35 to 150 centimeters tall that are sparsely hairy, it develops lance-shaped leaves 9 to 15 centimeters long with serrated edges and rough texture. Its leaves have an acute base with short petioles and appear somewhat scabrous or bristly. The small fruits are approximately 2 millimeters long, clustered densely in overlapping arrangements along the flower spikes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features are tall erect habit, few spikes per cluster, and dense fruiting spikes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places, marshes
Elevation: < 1300 m
California counties: Butte, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Modoc, Tehama, Shasta, Solano, Yuba, Lassen, Glenn, Mariposa
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America, Arizona
Bloom period
Verbena hastata blooms Jun-Sep.
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 hastata native to California?
Yes. Verbena hastata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Verbena hastata bloom?
Verbena hastata blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Verbena hastata grow?
Verbena hastata occurs in Butte, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Modoc, Tehama, Shasta, Solano and other counties, at elevations of < 1300 m.
What plant family does Verbena hastata belong to?
Verbena hastata is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
What habitat does Verbena hastata grow in?
Verbena hastata grows in Wet places, marshes.
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.