Tall Vervain can bloom in the first year from seed.. You can toss seedheads into the meadow, they will manage to squeeze themselves in somewhere.

Verbena hastata, Tall Vervain

Likes moist soil

Verbena stricta, Stiff Vervain

It blooms in year 2. My favorite.

The closest to Porterweed.

Likes regular to dry soil.

Verbena simplex, Narrowleaf Vervain

The 1st native vervain I grew. It can flower in the 1st year from seed. Verbena are claimed to hybridize easily. There are many named hybridson the bonap app. I haven't experienced it but I did once find a hybrid that had wiry, bouncing flower stems like Nettleleaf Vervain, but with purple flowers. It's named Verbena x engelmannii.

Prefers dry soil

Verbena urticifolia, Nettle-leaf Vervain

Some people love it and some hate it. I love it,( but only in moderation) and it gets chucked fast if it's a shade threat to something more special.

Vernonia noveborasensis, New York Ironweed puts out a lot of flowers. I still want to grow Vernonia lettermannii. Vernonia baldwinii is another possibiity. They are close to me on the bonap app.

Vernonia missurica,, Missouri Ironweed that's native up into Illinois and Michigan. Vernonia fasciculata, Smooth Ironweed is the most abundant local Ironweed. I haven't grown it yet.

Moss Verbena. Glandularia tenuisecta. While Rose Verbena, Glandularia canadensis is an effective ground cover, Moss Verbena is light and airy and won't thug out other plants as it sprawls over them. I also grow Verbena bracteata. It's a short ground covering plant, but I find the spent flower bracts unatractive, and the tiny flowers themselves are difficut to see. Ive been tempted to grow the colorful and tropical Porterweed. It's supposed to be a butterfly and hummingbird magnet and it comes in colors other than purple.

Dwarf Red Porterweed, Sachytarpheta sanguinea, Verbenaceae

Florida Blue Porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Verbenaceae

I ended up putting the ironweed in the orchard, too. The V. fasiculata only get 3-4 foot tall, they're not the giants, and my apples and pears are getting taller and need some friends under them.

I've got some of the giant ironweed (I can never remember which one it is) up by the house. Some of whatever self-sowed back in the meadow but only one clump; I hope over time more decides to take up residence back there.

I've also got V. lettermanni "Iron Butterfly" up by the house. This is a great textural foliage plant and is a beautiful foil for bolder-leaved plants. Only gets about waist-high, so easy worked into the perennial border. My only complaint about ironweed is it doesn't bloom very long.

I planted a small clump of vervain back in the meadow last year but haven't seen it yet. Doesn't mean it's not there, I just haven't seen it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it decided it didn't like it and gave up the ghost. It's hot and dry back there if we don't get consistent rain, and I leave stuff to has to fend for itself.