The verbena family, also called vervain family, includes over 700 kinds of plants. The family's scientific name is Verbenaceae. The members of this group are trees, shrubs and garden flowers.
The common garden verbena is grown as a perennial in the southern states but as an annual in the North. It is a hybrid which has been developed by crossing wild varieties with cultivated species. The ordinary verbena plant grows up to a foot high, while the dwarf types rarely exceed six inches. The flowers are irregular with the corolla fused to form two lips. Verbena blooms occur in various colors except yellow. The flower may be all one color, striped, or with a different colored center. The leaves are arranged on opposite sides of the long stem.
Sand verbena can be found in the Pacific coast area. The trailing stem sends up a flower stalk in the summer. The individual flowers form a pink to lavender ball.
Tuber verbena produces a cluster of purple flowers on a spike. Moss verbena is much shorter, with more delicate leaves.
