Blue Vervain  Verbena hastata

Blue Vervain is a short-lived perennial that grows 3 to 4 feet in height. The plant produces a few long stems that have square stems and opposite, toothed leaves. The tiny blue to purple flower spikes bloom from mid to late summer and are arranged like a candelabra, with a larger one on the top and then smaller ones developing lower on the stem as the season goes by.

Seed Starting: Requires cold stratification to germinate. So either plant them outside in January or February and let them experience cold temperatures before moving them to a warm location. Or simply scatter seeds on exposed soil in winter.

Site: Natively they grow in wet areas but here in the NW they are quite adaptable in the garden and tend to be quite drought tolerant. Thanks clay soils! Mostly just get them at least 6 hours of direct sun and I bet they’ll be just fine. Should self-seed after that too. Easy to pull up if they do start popping up everywhere.

Harvest: Cut off the upper 1/3 of the stem, directly above a pair of leaves. Plants have auxiliary buds at the place where the leaf stem goes into the main stem. So if we don’t damage this juncture the plant will grow a new stem, have bushier growth and hopefully flower more. Also try not to leave too much stem above the leaves as this is more prone to rot and infection. 

Medicine: Blue Vervain is a nice sedative plant. I have found it to work in cases of insomnia where other plants failed. Many folks find that the plant helps create a general state of ease as well. It's a good one to try for depression – works for some, not others. It is also quite bitter so can be used to help stimulate the liver and the digestive tract. The bitter properties with its sedative effects make it great for nervous indigestion. The plant is also a diaphoretic, meaning that it will help the body release heat through sweating. I like to use it to keep a sick child in bed.