Verbena hastata L.
Blue vervain, blue verbena, swamp vervain, Simpler’s joy, common verbena, swamp verbena
Blue vervain is native to eastern North America. They have a preference for moist ground. The first time I saw them, I thought I had caught them just beginning to bloom, since only a small portion of each flower stalk was in bloom. But that’s how they operate. Each flower stalk looks a little like a fuse, with a burning blue spark hissing along its length.
Plants: 2–5′ (60–152 cm) high, with stiff red or green stems that are square in cross-section and sometimes coated with fine white hairs.
Leaves: Opposite leaves up to 6 ⨉ 1″ (15 ⨉ 2.5 cm), serrated with teeth that vary in size.
Flowers: On the upper half of the plant, the stem branches into several stiff spikes up to 5″ (12 cm) long, with attractive blue-purple flowers. Individual flowers are less than ¼″ (6.3 mm) around, with five petals. Blooming begins at the bottom of each spike, moving upward as a ring of flowers. Flowers appear from July to September.
Fruits: Four long, narrow nutlets that separate.
Habitats: Moist ground, waste areas, pastures, thickets, meadows, drainage ditches, stream banks.
Online References:
7/31/2023 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine 
7/20/2021 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 3 × 3½″ (8.4 × 9.6 cm) 
7/20/2021 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 14 cm) 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
7/24/2010 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
7/20/2024 · Florida Lake, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 15 cm) 
8/14/2014 · Oak Hill, Littleton Conservation Land, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 9″ (16 × 22 cm) 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 23 cm) 
7/31/2021 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 21 cm) 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm) 
7/19/2017 · West Virginia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
7/17/2010 · Maine Turnpike, Exit 25, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm) 
7/20/2024 · Florida Lake, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 4 × 5″ (11 × 13 cm) 
4/6/2021 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) 
7/17/2010 · Maine Turnpike, Exit 25, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
7/20/2024 · Florida Lake, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
7/31/2023 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine 
7/31/2021 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 23 cm) 
7/17/2010 · Maine Turnpike, Exit 25, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 7 × 5″ (18 × 13 cm) 
7/19/2017 · West Virginia · ≈ 7 × 6″ (18 × 16 cm) 
8/21/2013 · Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 16 cm) 
7/17/2010 · Maine Turnpike, Exit 25, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
7/31/2023 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine 
7/19/2017 · West Virginia · ≈ 4½ × 5″ (11 × 13 cm) 
8/17/2020 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 4½″ (12 × 12 cm) 
8/17/2020 · Otter Brrok Preserve, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Verbenaceae | Verbena (vervain) family, about 3,000 species |
| Genus | Verbena | From the word meaning “vervain” |
| Species | hastata | “Spear-shaped” |
Verbena hastata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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