Moss Verbena is a spreading plant with good drought tolerance that has naturalized from Georgia to Florida growing in old fields, waste areas and roadsides. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerates sandy and low fertility soil. It can be grown as an annual outside of its growing range.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Opposite, fernlike, almost mossy, finely cut triangular dark green leaves, 1 to 1.5 in. long
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Up to 2-inch clusters of 5 to 15 blue, purple, violet to lilac flowers; strongest bloom in spring, then declining in summer heat; flowering returns with cooler temperatures
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South America
Distribution
Southern US
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Rock Wall; Slope/Bank; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden