Seeds of Verbena bonariensis are small~ flea sized ~but quite easy to collect. When it stops flowering and begins to dry, periodically shake into/over a paper bag. Try not to bend the stem over. When they're ready, seeds will fall out into the bag. After collecting, you might try throwing some (or all) of the seeds within the prepared area you're hoping to have it grow next year.
It's one of my all time favorites and has always been well-behaved in my garden.

I discovered it some time back, as a landscape focus in front of a nursery in mid-Michigan - amazingly beautiful planted in mass! Since then I have occasionally started it indoors from seed. This past year I had it growing, having started it back at the beginning of March. It took about 4 months, I think, to bloom. I gathered seed at the end of the season, but then had almost no germination from it this spring when started under lights. However, some of the seed self-sowed, happily enough, which means I'll have another chance with my own seed. It makes me think that maybe I gathered the seed too early the first time. This season I will try Jaynine's method of shaking the seed out instead of dissecting the seed out of the old blooms. Good to know about that. I will add, though, that in our Zone 5, it's not reliable every year that it will have enough time to come up and set seed mature enough to self-seed and perpetuate continued growth. If you wanted to have a guaranteed planting for effect, you might need to start seed indoors first.

I grow it from seed every year. I usually winter sow it, or let it volunteer. It is a very enthusiastic reseeder, and is considered a noxious invasive plant, because it can crowd out native plants if allowed to compete with them. I try to be very careful to dead head my flowers once the pollinators have enjoyed the blooms.

Martha

Oh, a winter-sowing candidate! Now I'm really excited - thank you, Martha, for mentioning that.

Jaynine, the paper bag idea is a great tip, esp. if I want to contain the seed to use in winter-sowing instead of just sprinkling over the ground as I was first thinking of doing. "Flea sized" is pretty much what I was expecting - pretty hard to collect in your hand, LOL.

Thank you for relating your experience Samhain - it makes even more sense to get it going early in its own little "greenhouse" by winter-sowing. I wouldn't have room to start it indoors anyway (all my light racks are taken up with AV's and streps!) but it helps to know it needs the longest season for growing that I can give it.

Martha - you really have it self-sow that readily? I know we're both Zone 5, but there must be something about micro-climates that decides what will establish itself there but not here. I'd read about it being invasive in warmer zones, but this year was the first time I had it reseed, and only one of the babies may end up with seed mature enough to come back next year. Still, there is the possibility that my garden may be developing a slightly warmer micro-climate because of tree growth around it. Hmmmm...Will keep my eye on that verbena. :)

Verbena bonariensis is a perennial here, and maybe my favorite plant. Glad to learn it can be an annual for y'all.

Re invasiveness, the new growth is easily identifiable and easy peasy to rogue out. I sometimes collect individual new plants and put together a group of five or so to make a new plant.

Have goldfinches which adore swinging madly on the long stems while eating the seed. It's a great sight.

Writing from Sugar Hill, GA

In zone 7A (Oklahoma), I found my bonariensis had reseeded successfully enough to have found a place out in the prairie that I maintained and burned.

I had mixed feelings about it out there (it didn't belong)..but it dealt with the harsh life quite well.

Here in my zone 4 gardens, the verbena comes back reliably unless we have a bitter cold open winter. I am always pleased to see clumps of it showing in late Spring. Have never had it seed about for me. Easy to pull if area gets too large, but a wonderful late summer flower; stands strong and holds color for a long time.

I thought I would show a picture of my V.B. And how it has spread from the original patch to almost the entire front edge of my roadside butterfly garden.

Docmom, you must live in China or Australia, since you're picture is down under.

Darn it. It's my iPad. When I take pictures with it it automatically orients the picture. I don't even know what direction I'm supposed to hold it so it looks normal for everyone. And everyone around me has Apple products, so they look fine to them as well. Apologies.

Martha

Hee hee, I know...I've noticed it. Maybe you should open them on PC (if you use one) and rotate them to upright before posting.
I really can't tell much about an upside down landscape...it looks like Mars to me.

This post was edited by dbarron on Sun, Aug 31, 14 at 23:34

Thanks for the photo, DocMom - all you have to do to see it right side up is click on it. I found out about that tip on another forum (see, you're not the only one whose posted photos don't go the way they should!) ;-)
I guess someone could say that by your photo this is a bad plant to let get started, but it is so interesting in its structure and bloom and it does pull out easily, unlike some other garden thugs I could think of. I'm still going to collect some seed and wintersow it to put in a few spots around the garden next year.

I did not know that Ann, thanks. I've seen SO many upside down photos in Name this Plant gallery.

Now that I can see it without trying to stand on my head, yep, that pretty much sums up V bonariensis (the photo).

This post was edited by dbarron on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 7:50

Unfortunately, I don't have a PC, so I can't check the photos before I post them. I'm glad to know there is a way for others to adjust the pictures so they don't have to go crazy. I'd try to fix it, but I wouldn't know it was fixed unless one of you commented.

Martha

So they show up right side up for you ? (wondering)

Anne - tried clicking on it, but it still is upside down for me. But I turned my laptop upside down and can see it just fine. :) They're beautiful, Martha! How was the butterfly turn out this year?

Yes, dbarron, the pictures look fine on my computer and on any other Apple device.

Samhain, I wasn't able to spend much time in the garden this summer, since I lost my job and had to move to Wisconsin and start a new one. But, I was able to raise some Monarchs. I certainly didn't see many butterflies.

Martha

Martha - sorry to hear about the old job, though I hope the new one will be better. And may your butterflies increase!

- Alex

Samhain,
I don't know about the trick of left clicking on the upside down photo working on anything but a PC, which is what I have. Maybe this tip does not translate to phones, ipads or laptops? I just know I read it on one of the forums, I tried it and it works for me every single time. When I click it opens the photo in a new tab and always right side up. Sorry it didn't help you!

BTW, I have discovered about a half dozen Tall Verbena seedlings about 6" tall just in the last few days - in other areas of the garden, far from the ones in bloom. Wind, rain, birds, bees? Something is carrying the seed about. So late in the season, I'm sure these won't have a chance to bloom and set their own seed. And since these will be cut down by autumn frosts anyway, I'm thinking I will try to transplant a few just to see how they tolerate being moved at this size - just for future reference.

Anne - oh, I just love experiments! ;) Good luck with it; I see you're in the same zone as me, so you'd best mulch it heavily. My experience is that it isn't hardy this far north, but who knows? Maybe you'll have a special micro-climate in your yard. Or maybe we'll have a mild winter this year instead of the monster we had last year.
Oh, I see - reading again what you wrote, you're trying to see if it simply survives the transplant, not the whole winter, I gather. Yeah, I'd like to know, too, as I haven't tried transplanting after they're in-ground, only planting out from pots.
BTW - still couldn't get the pic to right itself. Tried right clicking as well as left clicking - didn't work for me. Oh, well.
- Alex