Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'

Name: Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'
Brand: Rainbow Plants
SKU: 5055182640808
Price: 14.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

Purpletop vervain

All the butterfly appeal of tall verbena in a compact, half-height plant, Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop' brings clouds of lavender-purple flowers to the front of a sunny border or a pot.

Supplied as an established plant in a 3 litre pot

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Aspect

Full sun

Hardiness

Reasonably hardy, but short-lived. Needs sharp drainage.

Flowers

Summer

Soil

Loam, sand, chalk

About this plant

Compact clouds of purple, alive with butterflies

Description
Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop' is a compact, free-flowering form of the popular tall verbena, giving all the airy charm and butterfly appeal of the species in a neater, bushier plant roughly half the height. Dense clusters of small lavender-purple flowers are held on slender, wiry, near-leafless stems above a rounded mound of dark green foliage, blooming from early summer right through to the first frosts. Its see-through habit and long season make it perfect for the front or middle of a sunny border, and it is one of the very best plants for bees and butterflies.
Why we like it
“
'Lollipop' gives you everything gardeners love about tall verbena, the floating purple pompoms, the constant butterflies and bees, the airy see-through habit, but on a compact, well-branched plant that fits a container or the front of a border. It flowers for months on end, needs no staking, is drought-tolerant once established, and gently self-seeds to keep itself going. A brilliant, low-fuss pollinator plant for smaller spaces.

Key features

What makes it special

Loved by bees & pollinators

Drought tolerant

Long flowering, late spring into summer

Good for cutting

Specs & details

The particulars

Botanical name: Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'
Common name: Purpletop vervain
Supplied as: 3 litre pot
Flower colour: Purple
Eventual height: 60-75cm
Eventual spread: 45-60cm
Flowering period: Summer
Habit: Compact, bushy, airy perennial
Life cycle: Herbaceous perennial
Hardiness: Reasonably hardy, but short-lived. Needs sharp drainage.
Aspect: Full sun
Soil type: Loam, sand, chalk
Moisture: Well-drained
Position: Front or mid-border, gravel garden, container
Plant spacing: Space around 40 to 45cm apart, ideally in groups of three or more.
Growing skill: Easy to grow

Plant calendar

When to plant, when it performs

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Planting

Flowering

Plant in spring so it establishes before winter. Flowers from early summer until the first frosts, then self-seeds to keep itself going.

Planting & care

Help it thrive

Planting guide

Plant in spring into well-drained soil in full sun, so it can establish before winter. Sharp drainage is key to helping it come through wet winters, so add grit on heavy ground. It tolerates poor soil but flowers well in moderately fertile ground. Water in well and plant in groups for the best effect. Its compact size makes it ideal for large containers using a free-draining, loam-based compost.

Care tips

Water in the first season to establish, then only in prolonged dry spells, as it is drought-tolerant once settled. Deadhead through the season to prolong flowering and reduce self-seeding, or leave some clusters to set seed for next year's plants. Leave the seedheads over winter and cut back to the base in early spring. Thin out or move any unwanted self-sown seedlings while they are small.

Winter care