Verbena

Propagating verbena can be simple or complex, it depends how good you garden bed soil is and how healthy your plants are, because verbena is a semi-hardy perennial in the Carolinas, an annual in colder zones that grows along the ground and the plant nodes sometimes send out roots similar to periwinkle. That’s the simple. When that doesn’t happen you propagate by cuttings, in a sterilized sand and perlite mixture and use a rooting medium that helps the roots form. Use a pencil to make a hole in the wet medium so when you stick the cutting in the rooting hormone doesn’t wipe off. Water and everyday depending on the heat/sun mist the leaves. If you can cover with plastic to retain the moisture do so. Don’t miss a day or you will be starting all over again. I know firsthand. If you are lucky to have the branch nodes self root, cut close to the one leaf node and leave a six inch branch on the other end of the root node. Gather three or four of these cut branches and plant them in a mixture of sand and manure with a handful of bone meal thrown in before planting the branches. Make certain you compact the backfilled soil with the end of your trowel. Water. Verbena is a herb of sorts and is used as a tea. Colors vary from purple, pink, red, and white. It can be planted in moist or dry areas but water in the winter and to keep it blooming through the summer it is best to deadhead the blooms. They are started by seed in northern zones.