Species PlantsBlue Vervain

Blue Vervain

Verbena hastata

CommonPlant
Illustration of Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Blue Vervain is a tall native wildflower of wet meadows and stream banks with multiple pencil-thin spikes of tiny blue-violet flowers that bloom from the bottom up. The seeds are an important food for swamp sparrows and other marsh birds in winter. The plant was used extensively by indigenous peoples for medicinal purposes.

Habitat
Wet meadows, stream banks, and marshes across North America
Diet
Seeds eaten by swamp sparrows, song sparrows, and many small birds
How common
Common

Best time to see a Blue Vervain

The best time to see a Blue Vervain is July–August, when about 80% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 27,455 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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