Verbena menthifolia
Mint leafed vervain
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Verbena menthifolia (Mint leafed vervain) is a native California herb in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by extremely slender spikes with non-overlapping fruits.
Mint leafed vervain is a California native perennial found in southern coastal, Peninsular, and desert regions of southern California in open, dry scrub habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small purple flowers in slender spikes that elongate to 6 to 30 centimeters during fruiting. Growing 30 to 75 centimeters tall with 1 to 3 ascending stems that are sparsely covered in stiff hairs, it forms a clumping habit in dry landscapes. Its leaves are distinctive, being ovate and 2 to 4 centimeters long, with deep lobes near the base and coarse serrated edges. The plant has compact purple flowers approximately 2 to 3 millimeters long, nestled among sparsely hairy, tapered leaves.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key feature is extremely slender spikes with non-overlapping fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, generally dry places, scrub
Elevation: < 300 m
Outside California: to Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Verbena menthifolia blooms Apr-Jun.
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 menthifolia native to California?
Yes. Verbena menthifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Verbena menthifolia bloom?
Verbena menthifolia blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Verbena menthifolia belong to?
Verbena menthifolia is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
What habitat does Verbena menthifolia grow in?
Verbena menthifolia grows in Open, generally dry places, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.