Western Vervain Seeds (Verbena lasiostachys)
Western vervain is a sublimely chaotic kind of plant. It makes itself at home in gnarly conditions…in the dusty fringes of freight terminals and rail yards…within defunct and worn-out horse pastures where no other natives persist…on steep embankments and scoured flood plains. Within these spaces, western vervain grows with wild abandonment. It creates abstract forms of multi-stemmed, sprawling, falling, climbing, twisting violet flower spires that open in constant succession over a very long summer bloom season. All along it yields nectar. Monarchs, swallowtails, and skippers are regular visitors. But it’s also a larval host for the common buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia). The bees are there of course, interesting and odd ones: Anthophora urbana, Ceratina tejonensis, Anthidium edwardsii and Anthidium maculosum, Ashmeadiella aridula astragali, Dianthidium ulkei, Megachile angelarum, Megachile fidelis, Osmia coloradensis and Osmia cyanella…all species themselves of the odd frontiers between human and non-human spaces. You can establish western vervain in the places it might naturally be found – in hard shallow soils, or sandy riparian zones (where it enjoys the added moisture). It normally shows up from about Portland, Oregon, southward to Baja on both wet and dry sides of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Expect it to be about 12-inches tall in hardscrabble conditions. And yet, this is anarchic perennial can also tolerate the awkward comforts of garden life outside of that zone (probably from southern BC, throughout all of California and even parts of Arizona). Offering it rich soils and a little summer water will only make it more lush and flower rich. Expect it to get up to about 4-feet tall when pampered in a garden! Western vervain is wonderfully tolerant of both sand and heavy clay, and can flower continuously for months (no joke!). It mostly loves full sun. 100+ Seeds (0.1 Grams).