Glandularia canadensis

Common Names

Rose Verbena, Rose Vervain, Rose Mock Vervain, Clump Verbena, Sweet William

Summary

Glandularia canadensis, commonly called Rose Verbena or Rose Mock Vervain, is a North American native perennial in the Verbenaceae family. It forms a low, sprawling ground-cover with trailing stems that root at the nodes, reaching about 6–18 inches tall and 1–2 feet wide. Dense, flat-topped clusters of five-petaled, fragrant rose-pink to rose-purple flowers appear from May through August, with deeply lobed dark green leaves providing a textured backdrop; plants are drought-tolerant and thrive in full sun.

In cultivation, Rose Verbena prefers full sun and dry to medium, well-drained soils, tolerates drought and rocky soils, and can self-seed, making a versatile ground cover for rock gardens, borders, edging, containers, or hanging baskets. It propagates by seed, root division, or softwood cuttings, and can be grown as an annual in colder regions. Generally easy to grow with low maintenance, it attracts butterflies and is relatively pest resistant, though powdery mildew and Botrytis blight or root rot can occur in wet soils, and slugs, snails, or spider mites may appear under certain conditions.

Lifecycle

Annual, Perennial

Height

6-18 inches

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun. Tolerates partial sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil, dry to medium moisture.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Soil pH

No specific pH preference; tolerates all soil pH levels (acid, alkaline, or neutral)

Bloom Color

Pink to Purple

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Unknown

Growth Rate

Spreads quickly.

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Layering, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Glandularia canadensis attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators