Verbena pulchella
South american mock vervain
(c) Jeevan Jose , some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Perennial · Not Native
Verbena pulchella (South american mock vervain) is a non-native California perennial in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by pinnately dissected leaves vs. simple leaves in all other species.
South american mock vervain is a naturalized perennial herb found in southern California coastal areas, Santa Monica Mountains, and western Peninsular Ranges in dry, disturbed places and abandoned fields at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to purple flowers in dense spikes 3 to 8 centimeters long. Growing with multiple stems 15 to 60 centimeters tall that are decumbent to erect and glabrous or sparsely hairy, it forms spreading clumps. Its leaves are 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, approximately ovate and intricately 1 to 2-pinnately dissected with strigose hairs. The fruit is small, measuring 2 to 3 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key feature is pinnately dissected leaves vs. simple leaves in all other species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, disturbed places, abandoned fields (as waif)
Elevation: < 300 m
Outside California: to southern United States, native to South America
Bloom period
Verbena pulchella blooms May-Aug.
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 pulchella native to California?
No. Verbena pulchella is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Verbena pulchella bloom?
Verbena pulchella blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Verbena pulchella belong to?
Verbena pulchella is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Verbena.
What habitat does Verbena pulchella grow in?
Verbena pulchella grows in Dry, disturbed places, abandoned fields (as waif).
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-09
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.