Verbena macdougalii Lavender Spires

Verbena macdougalii 'Lavender Spires' is a hybrid between MacDougal's verbena and the hastate verbena that combines the qualities of its two parents. it is as  hardy as the second and tolerates dry soils like the first. And since it does not produce seeds, it blooms generously throughout the summer. It forms a tall, dense, upright bush topped with complex candelabra, lavender-mauve inflorescences. Pollinating insects, especially butterflies, flock to it all day. Its many qualities make it welcome in our gardens.  

Verbena macdougalii Lavender Spires belongs to the verbenaceae family. It is a horticultural creation resulting from cross-breeding Verbena hastata, a large species from wet soils native to Canada and the United States, and Verbena macdougalii, present in Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, and Mexico. The Lavender Spires variety eventually forms a clump reaching 1.50m (5ft) high and 80cm (32in) wide. The vegetation consists of quadrangular stems which are sometimes branched towards their tips. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, veined, coarsely toothed and vibrant green. From June to September, the stems branch out at their upper ends and produce spike-shaped inflorescences adorned with numerous purple buds that become small lavender mauve flowers, each measuring 5mm (0,2in) in diameter. The floral spikes bloom for several weeks, opening from bottom to top. The buds, flowers, and bracts form a splendid harmony of colours. The deciduous vegetation dries up in winter.

This Lavender Spires verbena is easy to grow and ornamental, making it an excellent perennial for the summer garden. It is valuable for providing height to perennial beds and delightful in country-style flower arrangements. This plant looks remarkable with gauras, grasses (miscanthus, eragrostis, panicum), or alongside royal catchfly (Silene regia), another beauty of North American meadows. Its architectural floral spikes highlight the roundness of roses, and complement Russian sage. They look wonderful with the grey or silver foliage of shrubby wormwoods, metallic blue tufts of Elymus magellanicus, and pink plumes of Muhlenbergia capillaris. It also looks beautiful with tall thistles, pink or mauve shrubby salvias, and a Crambe cordifolia...