I, too, have Homestead verbena. I have rooted this stuff in every possible way you can imagine. I baby some, I carelessly abuse some, but I certainly have had great success in multiplying it. Yes, it will root in water, but in my experience, it struggles when I move it into a soil environment unless all conditions are vaguely favorable.

So what I have been doing with the greatest level of success is to loosen the soil under a spreading stem with my finger or stick, etc, lay the stem onto the disturbed soil- leaves and all- pack some of the soil over it and just leave it be. Sometimes I'll put a rock on it to weigh it down. Within a couple of weeks, it will form roots that look like tiny white fangs. Either I will leave it to make longer roots or I will pinch it off and stick it in one of my many "I'll just shove it in here" rooting pots. I have a few galvanized tubs throughout the garden/porch area that turn into flowing mixed container gardens because of my lazy "rooting/recovery" effort pots. When it requires a tool to dig the root ball out, I deem it ready for the ground. But that doesn't mean I have not just pinched it off and immediately planted it a few feet away from the parent plant with equal success.

HOWEVER - if you search around the undersides of your current plant, you might find some of these baby fang-like roots where it touches the soil or mulch.

I am in the upstate of SC and have had great success from lifting the long running pieces of verbena and removing sections that have self rooted and trimming so roots remain on cut section and planting directly into a new spot. Water in new location well for several days and if it really wilts too much you can cut off some of the top growth but you will be cutting off the flowers. It's perennial here as well as the red form. Imagine red and purple together! Woo Hoo! Good Luck!

i simply dont understand..

let me get this straight.. its taking over one bed ... which implies you have more than enough plants..

why can you simply MOVE THEM ...

why bother propagating ...

ken

Hi Ken: I live in East Central Georgia near Augusta. I have Homestead Verbena that I've had for 2 years now. The original Plant I trim back Religiously! Last spring, I took a few cuttings, simply stuck them into the ground in another flowerbed, shaded with a plastic white shopping bag (the type that most of us have way too many of) and watered. In no time at all, the cuttings were growing and blooming. This Spring, I Ripped One Whole Plant out due to it's getting much too large for the area. and the other, I trimmed back to almost it's original 'cutting' size. Now I don't know if I'm just having great success with this plant growing large and blooming like crazy for me, but Propagating it is Very Simple! And yes, Mine root along the stems anywhere they touch the soil. But I will add, that the 'Shading of Cuttings' in hotter or sunnier areas/spots really help prevent wilting. The shading (bag) is only needed until signs of New Growth begins. Then remove it and watch it GROW! I also want to add that the above mentioned 'stone' on the stem, to weight the stem down onto the soil surface is a great Idea. Or even a twist tie, to hold it down might work too. Best Of Luck to Anyone Trying to Make More of this. And Don't be afraid to trim for smaller more managable plants that bloom NON-Stop!