Verbena Common name: Verbena	Indicates sun requirement      Full sun      Half sun      Semi-shade      Shade   Indicates Water requirement         High water requirement.     Water every 1-2 days.          Medium water requirement.     Water every 3-7 days.          Low water requirement.     Water every 7-14 days.
Description Hardy, colourful trailing perennial that requires little attention and flowers throughout spring and summer. Flowers display in round flower heads of tightly-packed, single blooms. Colours include mauve, purple, pink, white and red, and often have a white center. These plants look excellent when trailing down a hanging basket, and form a dense mat as a ground cover with their fine foliage. Verbenas can also be used as an attractive border plant, as the blooms of the hybrids are very vibrant.
Growing Verbenas prefer full sun but will tolerate some shade. They are not very fussy and will thrive in most soils, but they do need good drainage. It is also a good idea to mix a little lime into the soil before planting. The hybrid varieties available today are Taipien and Babylon, and these should last many years under the right growing conditions. Build up your sandy soil with a good soil conditioner, use water crystals at the bottom of the planting hole if you live in a dry area, and mulch well after planting, this will keep the roots cool and they will draw moisture from the water crystals as they require it. Verbenas will respond to liberal watering during summer and a second flush of blooms will appear if the plants are lightly trimmed after the first flowering period. In humid weather Verbenas are susceptible to powdery mildew attack, but this can be controlled with applications of Benlate or Mancozeb Plus. Seeds should be sown from spring to early autumn in punnets, but germination is slow and may take up to a month. Space seedlings about 30 cm apart. Verbenas tolerate quite dry conditions, will grow in all but extremes of temperatures and will also grow well without extra fertilizer.