Samhain,

Thanks for flipping my picture for me. I'd be happy to give you seeds to plant wherever you would like to have these plants. They are wonderful for pollinators, since they have a very long bloom period, especially if you have both returning perennial plants and newly planted sprouts. My gardening style is to grow clumps of different plants here and there. But, these would be gorgeous planted among other things.

Martha

Martha - thank you for the offer! I did, however, manage to save a fair amount of seed from my few verbena plants this past season, so I'm set. However, if you have any butterfly weed or butterfly bush (buddleia), I'd really like some seed from those - don't care what color of butterfly bush, I just love the scent. Used to have some but it didn't make it through a hard winter some time back, and I haven't gotten around to replacing it. I've got all sorts of stuff I'd be happy to trade for them. I remember you told me last season you didn't need anything then, but maybe you've thought of something now. :-)
- Alex

Alex,
I don't have any buddleia seeds. I do have some butterfly weed seed, if you are referring to Asclepias tuberosa, or the orange variety of milkweed. I'd be happy to give you some of those. I didn't need anything previously, but I have misplaced my container in which I kept all my annual seeds. The only thing I need that I don't have is tithonia, or Mexican Sunflower. If you have those, I'd love to trade. We probably shouldn't take over this thread, so let's email privately.

Martha

Alex,
Have you adjusted your profile to allow anyone to message you? I couldn't see how to send you an email, so you may not have done that. Go to "Your Houzz", click on "edit profile", on the left click "advanced settings", then go to the bottom of the page to "who may message me" and change to "anyone may message"----unless you don't want to. Then I'll need to "follow" you and you may need to "follow" me. I'll click to follow you, anyway.

Martha

Martha -
Have changed the setting; it was still set for private. Yes, I have 10 or so seeds I saved from last year's tithonia plants. Didn't save more because I wasn't thinking of planting them again right away, but can't help but put some back just in case. They're yours! Will e-mail you.
- Alex

UPDATE:

TR2, I am curious if you finally got this to grow from seed this season? To make a long story short I didnt in 2015 and forgot about it this season but plan to get more seeds for next year.

Rouge - I was able to grow this from seed in a previous garden without issue, and I don't usually try complex or difficult to grow seeds. I did get them from a very reliable source that tests viability since they sell to commercial growers as well as homeowners. My growing season was iffy about the seeds maturing, though it seems that frosts are usually later now than there were 20 years ago, so I may give these a go again for late season color.

Thanks for the post Barb. Do you put them in the ground in the fall or the spring?1

I spring planted them, direct seed, but I did get a very few that self-seeded so overwintered. They might bloom earlier if started earlier in pots so they could be brought in on early-season cold nights.

Just throwing my 2 cents worth in: the past two seasons now I have switched to winter-sowing tall verbena (verbena bonariensis) as opposed to starting indoors early or direct seeding. The germination rate is much higher this way, and I actually get flowers before the summer's over. It will self-seed in my zone 5, but then takes so long to reach flowering stage. But when I winter sow, it will start germinating well before the last frost, and I can divide and pot the seedlings to allow them to put on more growth before transplanting outside. I already have stuff growing under lights inside so I bring my repotted seedlings in. But this probably isn't necessary. That first year, I left them in the winter sowed pot, all crowded together, and forgot about them. When it came time to plant out, I just scooped out clumps and planted them like that, not expecting much. They surprised me at how hardy they were - taking this abuse and going on to put on a show for me. This year I did as I just mentioned above - dividing and repotting, and got a brilliant display. It will be my method from now on. This photo was taken 8-22 and they had already been in bloom for some weeks.

- Alex

'Santos Purple' provides a profusion of color! I had sown the seeds in February and set out a block of five or six plants in early May and these have developed into a mount of color reaching 32 inches high! They loved the moderate temps and ample rain and are now shrugging off our current cool northern temperatures. I'll be digging and storing the plants over winter and in all likelihood will be growing this variety for years to come. Photo was taken before the plants had really hit their stride.

Beautiful, Twros! If I may ask, what is that variety of phlox growing behind it?

Samhain10, that's 'Jolt Pink' dianthus planted behind the verbena ... mmm, next year I'll have to pair 'Santos Purple' verbena with phlox, possibly the beautifully variegated 'Becky Towe' ... thanks for giving me the great combo idea! :)

That's dianthus? It looks huge! Or is that an optical illusion and it's not really taller than the verbena? I like the color a lot, and had been thinking of ordering a pink phlox, but didn't get to it this year. Just looked up Jolt Pink and see that it's fairly short, so I guess it must be an optical illusion - LOL

Just looked up the Becky Towe you mention - nice one. You may have talked me into it.

The 'Jolt Pink' dianthus grew to about 16 inches high and was nice enough while in full bloom, though hadn't grabbed my attention enough to again grow. Samhain, I'm sure you'll really enjoy 'Becky Towe', I have five of them sprinkled around the yard and will divide and make more.

Oh, I just realized I haven't seen the Becky Towe I planted last fall. Wonder where it is?

UPDATE:

'Santos Purple' provides a profusion of color!

Twros, if I may ask where did you obtain the seeds?

Hi Rouge, okay, so I did get around to digging and storing the 'Santos Purple' for the winter, I was surprised by the spreading nature of the roots, not that such is a bad thing! If they make it though the winter okay, I'll prune in early summer at about 1 ft tall to encourage better compactness. I had gotten the seeds from Plants of Distinction, a very worthwhile purchase!

I had gotten the seeds from Plants of Distinction

Thanks for the info. PofD is a uk company...shipping must have been quite dear?

(Does 'Santos Purple' self seed like bonariensis?)

Blimey - PoD have been on my blacklist for a long time now - no other company has sold seeds with such a consistent germination fail (not even T&M) - so much that I even failed to redeem the vouchers I received after the last set of failures. I admit to being suspicious of any company which generates more effort in glossy catalogues than adequate storage...and even though I am as susceptible as anyone to a shiny picture of promise, I finally decided absolutely never again.

The problem is sometimes one is forced to purchase from such a company when a certain seed can't be sourced anywhere else.

The selection of seeds I had ordered from Plants of Distinction was small, though all being newly introduced varieties (thus, fresh seed) and germination being good, other than the eryngium ... though, thankfully, I had obtained a sufficient number of those seedlings before somehow accidently discarding the remainder of that packet ... there's nothing worse than digging through bags of smelly household garbage in a futile attempt to find something, lol.

Rouge, how's your seed starting green thumbs? I'll gladly send along the six or seven seeds I have remaining of 'Santos Purple'. These are easy to germinate and develop rather quickly once they kick into gear a bit.

Twros, I am very green when it comes to starting from seeds but if you have a few to spare I will try. Thank you for the generous offer.

I've been following this discussion, but keeping my mouth shut. However, if I could make a suggestion, Rouge: try winter sowing the verbena, especially if the seeds aren't fresh. Earlier in the thread this was discussed with my getting advice from texasranger2. Scroll back up to Sept 4, 2016 to see the result I had. Believe me, winter sowing was worth it for me with verbena, and larkspur as well.

- Alex

Thanks Alex for the suggestion to winter sow. I can for sure see the advantage of starting the seeds earlier. I need to look more carefully at what is all involved in winter sowing in my neck of the woods.

(If one plants bonariensis seeds directly into the soil in even early May, won't I see flowers this first year, sometime in the Fall and with reseeding will see them sooner in subsequent years? I am wanting this verbena in a very wild area of our property i.e. no weeding gets done...strictly survival of the fittest for this location.)

The truthful answer to that question lies in the area you are talking about planting. Whether verbena "likes" it there. If it does, it may come back year after year. I'm still getting volunteer seedlings since I planted some verbena more than 5 (?) years ago. My problem is, and it may be yours as well - that it blooms so very late in the season, when everything else is long done flowering and looking pretty haggard, if I haven't already pruned it. Great, if you've got a giant stand of just it, looking beautiful and fresh. I saw it once like this in front of a local nursery, and was entranced! Solid verbena - it was like the sea.

But I digress. You can try it, but save whatever seed you might get, because it may decide to disappear away on you.

As for winter sowing - nothing to it. But the FAQ has all the particulars written down already so clearly. No special equipment required, just stuff from around the house.

- Alex

Rouge, I pretty much had 100% germination with the 'Santos Purple' and remaining seeds have been keep in the fridge, sooo germination should remain high. I do not fuss when it comes to indoor sowing of hardy species, I keep my house rather very coool and seedlings grow sturdy while soaking up the short day light hours in the sunny south window. Because my summers are short, I thought best to start the seeds in February in anticipation of July flowering (and they did not disappoint in that regard), an early March sowing should be fine for longer growing regions.

Just checked on the verbena roots stored in the attached unheated garage and they're looking okay as far as I can tell. I'll plant them out in late April and report back on their progress.

I'll plant them out in late April

You mean you will plant the roots directly into the ground (outside) at that time?

Yes, I'll plant the dormant roots out in the garden soon after the ground thaws and weather warms.

Twros, that sounds interesting. Do you get fuller plants with the roots?

Rouge, the following picture was taken on July 28 last year. That was after a mild winter, but they certainly are in bloom for me the first week of August. That is early enough for me. I just let them self-sow every year. They have kept themselves going through good times and bad, for at least 15 years. In your area they might be a little later? I had more of them in another spot, these were just stragglers.

"Do you get fuller plants with the roots?" This is my first attempt with storing the plants over winter, so I'll have and wait and find out. I'll also be sowing a few more seeds in the event they possibly decide to perish during their long winters rest, 'Santos Purple' is really too nice to be without! I was also very impressed with 'Meteor Shower' and it too sits out winter in the garage. Great picture btw, I love all the foliage texture you have going on there!

Thank you. I am something of a plant collector, so I have to be careful that there is not too much busyness...

I had never heard of Santos Purple, now I googled it, and it says it is a form of V. rigida, and only 30-35 cm tall? The colour looks splendid, but it is not the tall, lanky plant? That would need different placement in the garden then.

Beautiful garden photo for sure.

I was surprised at the height of the plants, the tallest stems did reach 32 inches high, though because of their rather dense mounding habit and continuous profusion of bloom, they were rather welcomed for placement near the front of the border. In my region, 2015 was wetter and cooler than normal and likely had attributed to their exaggerated vigor ... this coming summer, I just might be giving them a pruning.

Interesting. Let us know how it goes with the planting and with the size.

gdinieontarioz5 - that is a gorgeous display! What's the multi-narrow-leafed plant at 8 o'clock in the photo - behind what looks like peony? That offers a lovely contrast.

My verbena is much taller, as well, than the Santos Purple - 4 to even 5 ft. A shorter version would be nice. I'm also interested to hear the results of storing the roots overwinter. Some of mine did overwinter this past season out in the garden, but we had such a mild winter, followed by this phenomenally mild 2016-7 winter. It's only gotten seriously cold in the past couple of weeks or so. Am very grateful, though I'm always mindful that the growing season will be affected by what happens in the winter; i.e. - whether there's enough water (snow) and enough cold to keep some bugs in check.

- Alex

There has been a shorter version of v.bonariensis about for a few years - 'Lollipop'...but seems pointless to me. The reliable height and rigidity of the original always seems its most USP.

Samhain, the narrow-leafed plant is Amsonia 'Halfway to Arkansas'. I had two or three A. hubrichtii die on me within 6 months, so I decided to try this one. It has done well for me, but this fall the yellow leaf colour was not much. It went from green to leaf drop. Still, valuable for its texture.

I bought some Amsonia or other at a cut down price this fall as the nursery was clearing things out. Not even sure if it had it's name tag - think I asked the owner what it was, so I don't know specifically which Amsonia it was. Don't remember it looking as dynamic as yours! We'll see what it does this next season when it's settled into it's new bed.

- Alex

Alex, I don't think you can go wrong with any Amsonia. They need one or two years to settle in. The first year mine was not much, I was pleasantly surprised the second year.

Gd, I sure do like the look of 'Amsonia 'Halfway to Arkansas'! I only have 'Blue Ice' and am now being very tempted by the new introduction 'Storm Cloud'!

I had not heard of 'Storm Cloud' yet. Very tempting indeed. Those dark asparagus stems in spring! I can see them with something soft yellow. Or just coming up from amongst the forget-me-nots, for a more harmonious pairing! Or, or...

UPDATE May 2018:

Scored a flat of healthy but small VB today.

I've got some teeny-tinys in one of the winter-sowed pots outside. They're still so small, haven't even considered doing anything with them yet. But when I do, I'll probably follow what is now becoming my standard procedure: divide into little clumps and plant out, as is. After they start to grow, thin them to 2 or 3 strong ones. This has worked so well for me the last couple of years, and the work is minimal which is appealing. They amaze me with their resilience, growing up to the 3-4 ft mark even given the initial crowding. They're also self-seeding now, which they didn't do before.

I ended up yanking mine out. They got to lanky and weedy looking to me.

Massed would look great if they would just behave and stay there lol.

LOL - I do know what you mean, though I am still pleased to see them in some places, and allow them some license. The very first time I ever saw them was in a massed planting in front of a nursery. Just the tall verbena, nothing else. It was stunning!

My update is, they have reseeded everywhere. In containers, the grass, etc. Still super easy to pull out. Not like salvia hispanica. Hydra of the plant world. Pull it out and six more take its place.

Actually I want it to spread given the location that it will be planted. (But I did make sure, reading in other threads, that it was simple to pull out).

Yeah, easy to pull out, so I just let it do it's thing. :)