Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Sandpaper Verbena
Sandpaper Verbena is a fast, spreading groundcover with vivid purple flowers from spring through summer. Its rough, sandpaper-like leaves give it its name. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit the flowers, and it spreads by underground stems to cover banks and slopes. It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide on low water.
Best for: fast groundcover on banks and slopes, edging along paths and beds, and butterfly gardens.
It spreads by underground stems into a continuous cover, which makes it a good choice for banks and slopes. Give it plenty of room, since it keeps spreading.
Set plants about 12 to 18 inches apart for a quick cover, and each one spreads to 3 to 4 feet wide.
Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit the purple flowers from spring through summer. It also works as an edging along a path or bed.
It spreads aggressively, so it needs plenty of room. It declines after a few years, and poorly drained soil can rot the roots.
- Quick groundcover12 in apart
- Standard groundcover12-18 in apart
Water a new plant every 2 to 4 days for the first few weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and less often in the cooler months. Water a little more often while it blooms.
When it looks ragged, cut it back hard, even to the ground. It regrows quickly from its underground stems.
It usually lasts only a few years. Plan to replace plants over time, or let new growth fill in the gaps.
Plant it where water drains away quickly. 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.
How big does sandpaper verbena get?
About 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It grows fast and spreads by underground stems.
How far apart should I plant sandpaper verbena?
Plant it about 12 to 18 inches apart for a groundcover, or 12 inches for the quickest cover. The Spacing tab shows both.
When does sandpaper verbena bloom?
From spring through summer, with vivid purple flowers.
Why is it called sandpaper verbena?
The leaves are stiff and rough, with a texture like sandpaper.
How often should I water sandpaper verbena?
Once rooted, about every 7 to 14 days in summer, and less in the cooler months. Regular water while it blooms helps the flower show.
Does sandpaper verbena need full sun?
It grows in full sun or part shade, in soil that drains.
How do I cut back sandpaper verbena?
When it looks ragged, cut it back hard, even to the ground. Fresh growth comes up from the underground stems.
Is sandpaper verbena invasive?
It is an aggressive, fast-spreading groundcover that moves by underground stems. Give it plenty of room, and keep it away from beds where you do not want it.
Does sandpaper verbena attract butterflies?
Yes. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds all visit the flowers, so plant it where you can watch them.
How cold hardy is sandpaper verbena?
It is rated hardy to about 0°F, and some sources say 10°F. After a hard freeze it recovers from its underground stems, so cut back the damage in spring.
How long does sandpaper verbena live?
It is fairly short-lived and declines after a few years. Replace plants over time, or let new growth from the underground stems fill in.
Can sandpaper verbena help with erosion?
Yes. It is used on banks and slopes for erosion control, so plant it where you need to hold soil.
Sandpaper Verbena for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Sandpaper Verbena is a tough purple groundcover that fills space fast and flowers from spring through summer. It comes back from underground stems after hard cutbacks and cold snaps. This page covers spacing, water, pruning and cold in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Sandpaper verbena in Phoenix
Sandpaper verbena is a fast purple groundcover that takes full sun or part shade. Plant it in soil that drains and give it room to spread.
How far apart to plant sandpaper verbena
Space plants about 12 to 18 inches apart for a groundcover. Each one spreads to about 3 to 4 feet wide over time.
Watering sandpaper verbena in the desert
Once rooted, water about every 7 to 14 days in summer. Give it regular water while it blooms and less in the cooler months.
Cutting back sandpaper verbena
If it looks ragged, cut the foliage back to the ground. New growth sprouts from the underground stems.
Sandpaper verbena for erosion control
Its underground stems let it spread into a continuous cover, which is why it is used on banks and slopes.
Sandpaper verbena vs Gooding's verbena
Sandpaper verbena is from South America, with purple flowers and rough leaves, and spreads by underground stems. Gooding's verbena is an Arizona native with lavender flowers that reseeds instead.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.