Flowers

How to Plant Tall Verbena: Timing, Spacing, Care & Bloom

Quick answer

Start indoors 8 to 12 weeks before average last frost (WI). Transplant after frost. Not the same as garden/bedding verbena.

Tall verbena at a glance

PlantStart indoors: 12–8 wk before last frost; Transplant: last frost
SunFull sun; average to dry once established (NC).
SpacingAiry habit — plant in groups.
Days to bloomBlooms mid-summer until frost (Wisconsin)
-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1LF+1+2+3
■ Start indoors   ■ Plant out   ■ Harvest
Weeks relative to last frost (LF). Colored weeks show when our ZIP planner schedules each step.
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Updated

Not garden verbena: tall verbena is Verbena bonariensis — airy upright spikes. Bedding garden verbena is a different plant — see garden verbena.

Tall verbena flowers
Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).

Sourced from university extension guides. For dates where you live, use the ZIP planting planner.

Planting timing

Wisconsin Horticulture: “Start seeds indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the average date of last frost. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of seeding mix, as they need darkness to germinate.” Set out after frost as a tender annual in cool climates. (WI tall verbena) NC: tender perennial zones 7–11. (NC Verbena bonariensis)

Depth and spacing

Airy habit — plant in groups. Thin volunteers if it self-sows (WI).

Sun, soil and water

Full sun; average to dry once established (NC).

Care and bloom

Clusters mid-summer to frost; butterflies and hummingbirds (WI).

Pests and diseases

Cultural sun and drainage first.

Related: garden verbena · ZIP planner · planting calendars

Frequently asked questions

When do I start indoors?

8–12 weeks before average last frost (WI).

When outside?

After frost.

Same as garden verbena?

No — different species; see garden verbena page.

Sources