Verbena lasiostachys
Common verbena
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Verbena lasiostachys (Common verbena) is a native California herb in the Verbenaceae family.
Common verbena is a California native perennial found in coastal and inland regions in grasslands, chaparral, and disturbed areas at elevations up to 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces blue to purple flowers in slender, elongated spikes 7 to 25 centimeters long. Growing with 1 to 5 ascending to erect stems 35 to 80 centimeters tall, covered in short, spreading hairs, it forms a robust clump. Its leaves are approximately ovate, 4 to 10 centimeters long, coarsely toothed and deeply lobed near the base, with a soft, somewhat rough texture. The flower bracts are small, measuring 3 to 4.5 millimeters, with a delicate blue to purple corolla.
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Butte, Alameda, Marin, El Dorado, Lake, Monterey, Fresno, Tulare, Alpine, Colusa, Shasta, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Sacramento, Tehama, Humboldt, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Tuolumne, Contra Costa, Siskiyou, Amador, Del Norte, Sutter, Nevada, Yolo, Merced, Sonoma, Stanislaus, San Benito, Madera, Solano
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 lasiostachys native to California?
Yes. Verbena lasiostachys is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Verbena lasiostachys grow?
Verbena lasiostachys occurs in Mendocino, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Kern, San Diego and other counties.
What plant family does Verbena lasiostachys belong to?
Verbena lasiostachys is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
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.