Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gooding's Verbena
Gooding's Verbena is an Arizona native groundcover that covers itself in heads of lavender flowers in spring. Butterflies visit it all through the bloom season. It forms a soft mound about a foot tall and up to 3 feet wide, with small, hairy gray-green leaves. Each plant lives a few years, but it reseeds, so new plants fill in bare spots each spring.
Best for: a low native groundcover, butterfly gardens, rock gardens and edging, and spots in sun or light shade.
It forms a soft mound about a foot tall and up to 3 feet wide. Set plants about 3 to 4 feet apart and let them fill in.
Many kinds of butterflies visit the fragrant lavender flower heads. It blooms heaviest in spring, then tapers off as it gets hot.
Use it along a path edge or among rocks. It takes full sun to moderate shade, in any soil that drains.
It can look scruffy or die back in the summer heat. Poorly drained soil can rot the roots. Plants live only a few years, so reseeding keeps a patch going.
- Tight groundcover3 ft apart, center to center
- Looser groundcover4 ft apart, center to center
Water a new plant every 2 to 4 days for the first few weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, water regularly while it blooms, then cut back after. It needs some water through the hot summer.
Trim off dried flower heads and tired growth after the spring bloom. It needs no other pruning.
It lasts about 2 to 3 years and can look scruffy in summer heat. It reseeds readily, and new plants fill bare spots each spring.
Plant it where water drains away. Soggy soil or poor drainage leads to root rot.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Gooding's verbena native to Arizona?
Yes. It is native to Arizona and much of the Sonoran Desert region, into northern Mexico. Plant it with other desert natives that share its low water needs.
How big does Gooding's verbena get?
It grows about a foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, as a soft, low mound. Plant it 3 to 4 feet apart and let it fill in.
How far apart should I plant Gooding's verbena?
Plant it about 3 to 4 feet apart for a groundcover. The Spacing tab counts plants for your bed.
When does Gooding's verbena bloom?
It blooms mostly in spring, with a big show of lavender flowers, and some flowers can show up into fall. Regular water while it blooms helps the flower show.
Why does my Gooding's verbena look bad in summer?
That is normal for this plant, which can look scruffy or die out in the summer heat. It is short-lived but reseeds, so leave a few seed heads and new plants fill bare spots each spring.
Does Gooding's verbena reseed?
Yes, readily. Once you have a few plants, new ones come up around them, so leave some seedlings to keep the patch going.
How much water does Gooding's verbena need?
Give it low to moderate water. It needs some water to make it through the hot summer, and regular water while it blooms helps the flower show.
Does Gooding's verbena need full sun?
It grows in full sun to moderate shade, so it can go under a light desert tree or in an open bed.
Should I cut back Gooding's verbena?
After the spring bloom, trim off the dried flower heads and tired growth. That is all the pruning it needs.
Does Gooding's verbena attract butterflies?
Yes. Many kinds of butterflies visit the flowers while it blooms, so plant it in a sunny butterfly bed.
How cold hardy is Gooding's verbena?
Growers rate it hardy to about 10°F, and some list it as low as 0°F. Valley winters do not hurt it, so it needs no frost cover.
Is Gooding's verbena messy near a pool?
It drops little litter and has no thorns, so it works near a pool or patio. Trim off the dried flower heads after spring so they do not blow onto the deck.
Gooding's Verbena for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gooding's Verbena is a low Arizona wildflower that puts on a big show of lavender flowers each spring. It reseeds, so a planting keeps going year after year. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from spacing and bloom to summer care, water and cold.
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Gooding's verbena in the low desert
Gooding's verbena is native to Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. It takes full sun to moderate shade, soil that drains, and some water through the hot summer.
How far apart to plant Gooding's verbena
Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart for groundcover. Each one makes a soft mound about a foot tall and up to 3 feet wide.
Why is my verbena dying in summer?
Gooding's verbena often looks scruffy or dies out in summer heat. It is short-lived but reseeds, so new plants fill in each spring.
When does Gooding's verbena bloom?
It blooms heaviest in spring with heads of lavender flowers, and blooming tapers off as temperatures rise. Regular water during the bloom helps the show.
Verbena for butterflies in Arizona
Gooding's verbena draws many kinds of butterflies during its spring bloom, and its flowers are fragrant. Plant it in a sunny bed near a patio where you can watch them.
Is Gooding's verbena the same as Glandularia gooddingii?
Yes. It was long listed as Verbena gooddingii and is now often listed as Glandularia gooddingii. Both names refer to the same plant.
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