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Texas Vervain

Verbena halei

Also listed as Verbena gaudichaudii, Verbena leucanthemifolia

Also known as Slender Vervain, Texas Verbena

herbaceous☀️ full sun💧 low water❄ Hardy: Zone 8a – Zone 10b

Climate Match for your location

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Texas vervain is a native wildflower with delicate purple-pink flowers on slender stems, ideal for xeriscape gardens and naturalized plantings. It thrives in hot, dry conditions and attracts pollinators with minimal care.

Why grow it

Texas vervain offers a native alternative to non-native verbena species in hot, dry regions, particularly across the south-central United States. It establishes reliably in poor or rocky soils where many ornamental alternatives struggle, and requires no supplemental irrigation once established. Compared to hybrid garden verbenas, it tends toward a more naturalistic growth habit and longer seasonal bloom, making it better suited to wildlife plantings and low-input landscapes.

Watch out for

Self-seeding can be prolific in ideal conditions, so deadheading may be necessary if you want to prevent volunteer seedlings in adjacent beds. Growth can appear sparse or leggy during establishment, particularly in the first season, but tends to fill in more densely in subsequent years. Performance may be inconsistent in areas with high summer humidity or poorly drained soils, where fungal issues become more likely.

Overview

Form
Mounding
Growth Rate
moderate
Size
1–2′ tall × 1.5–3′ wide
Dormancy
deciduous
Family
Verbenaceae
Erosion controlPollinators & beneficial insects

Native to the United States

Native Range

Texas and south-central United States

Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas

Seasonality

Bloom Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season of Interest

SummerFall

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Companion Planting

Plants well with