# How to Grow Verbena Officinalis
Verbena officinalis is the botanical name for common verbena, a species of flowering plant sometimes cultivated as a medicinal or therapeutic herb. The species possesses a rangy, upright growth habit comprised of 3-foot-tall, branching stems lined with lobed leaves. In summer, each stem features a cluster of purple flowers at the tip that are attractive to many butterfly species. Verbena officinalis grows equally well from seeds and cuttings, but the young plants are susceptible to damping-off and mildew so they must be kept slightly dry during the rooting process.
Things You'll Need
- Seedling tray
- Potting soil
- Coarse sand
- Spray bottle
- 4-inch plastic pots
- 0.1-percent IBA (indolebutyric acid) rooting liquid
Instructions
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How to Grow Verbena Officinalis from Seeds
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1
Chill Verbena officinalis seeds at 40 degrees F before sowing them. Perform the cold treatment in January approximately seven to 10 days before sowing them.
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2
Fill a seedling tray with sterile potting soil. Pat the surface of the soil to even it out and remove any trapped air.
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3
Sprinkle a few pinches of Verbena officinalis seeds across the soil. Spread a scant layer of coarse sand on top of the seeds to hold them in place.
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4
Mist the Verbena officinalis seeds after planting them. Mist the seeds with a spray bottle until water begins to collect on the sand. Let the soil dry out to a depth of 1/4-inch before watering again.
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5
Set the seedling tray in a heated greenhouse or indoors near a bright, sunny window where daytime temperatures stay around 68 degrees F.
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6
Watch for germination in 15 to 21 days. Transplant the strongest Verbena officinalis seedlings into individual 4-inch plastic pots filled with a mixture of 2 parts potting soil and 1 part coarse sand.
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7
Keep the individually potted Verbena officinalis seedlings indoors under warm, bright conditions until spring. Plant them out in a sunny, draining bed once all danger of frost has passed.
How to Grow Verbena Officinalis from Cuttings
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8
Grow Verbena officinalis from cuttings in early summer. Wait until daytime temperatures top 70 degrees F to harvest the cuttings.
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9
Select a 4-inch-long portion from the tip of a vigorous, non-blooming Verbena officinalis branch. Pinch off the cutting just below a set of leaves using your fingernails.
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10
Pull off the leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the cutting. Dip the leafless end in 0.1-percent IBA rooting liquid.
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11
Pot the Verbena officinalis cutting to half its length in a 4-inch plastic pot filled with coarse sand. Pour 1/4 cup of water onto the sand.
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12
Set the potted Verbena officinalis cutting outdoors under partial shade. Limit direct sunshine to no more than a half hour each day.
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13
Check for roots in two weeks. Hold the base of the stem lightly and carefully try to lift it from the sand. Feel if the cutting is stuck to the sand or if it yields to the movement, which indicates it has not yet rooted.
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14
Transplant the Verbena officinalis into a permanent bed one week after rooting. Choose a sunny spot with somewhat dry soil.
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