Verbena litoralis
Seashore vervain
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Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Subshrub · Not Native
Verbena litoralis (Seashore vervain) is a non-native California subshrub in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by tall habit, multiple short spikes, and sessile leaves.
Seashore vervain is a naturalized perennial herb found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento Valley in disturbed places and fields at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces violet to purple flowers in dense spikes 3 to 7 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 150 centimeters tall that are glabrous to sparsely short-bristly, it has a variable habit as a biennial or perennial. Its leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, 3 to 10 centimeters long with irregular serrated edges and nearly sessile at the base. The small fruits measure 1 to 1.5 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features are tall habit, multiple short spikes, and sessile leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places, fields
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: San Diego, Butte, Ventura, Yolo, Amador, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Colusa, Calaveras, Glenn, Yuba, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Monterey
Outside California: to southern United States, Pacific, native to Central America, South America
Bloom period
Verbena litoralis 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 litoralis native to California?
No. Verbena litoralis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Verbena litoralis bloom?
Verbena litoralis blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Verbena litoralis grow?
Verbena litoralis occurs in San Diego, Butte, Ventura, Yolo, Amador, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Placer and other counties, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Verbena litoralis belong to?
Verbena litoralis is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
What habitat does Verbena litoralis grow in?
Verbena litoralis grows in Disturbed places, fields.
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.