How to Propagate ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena

If you haven’t tried growing ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena in your home garden you really should! I’ve used this purple flowering perennial in three places so far and can think of many more locations I would like to see them. ‘Purple Homestead’ has found homes in our landscape in the mailbox garden, our front garden, and our birdbath garden. ‘Purple Homestead’ verbena is a low sprawling ground cover perennial that blooms profusely with purple blossoms during the summer and it’s also easy to propagate!

Growing Purple Homestead Verbena

My only complaint about this summer blooming perennial is its tendency to disappear over the winter. Sometimes it comes back and other times it doesn’t. Often Purple Homestead verbena will die back completely from the main plant and re-sprout from a different location along the plant where it rooted previously. Perhaps the verbena wants to travel?

As long as it comes back I don’t mind. This verbena doesn’t like wet winter locations and needs a well drained area with plenty of sunshine. If you give it the right conditions it will stay in good shape for the following spring and summer.

Keep it Away from Weeds

Verbena also doesn’t like competition. It will sprawl all around clumping perennials but has trouble competing against fast growing weeds. Keep the areas weeded around your verbena to keep it growing good.

Purple Homestead Verbena Companion Plants

Verbena looks great with a number of companion plants. In the picture below I have it planted with yellow coreopsis and coneflower. It grows best as a ground cover so plant verbena toward the front of your beds with taller perennials as a backdrop.

Propagating Purple Homestead Verbena

To sustain your verbenas over long periods consider propagating a few extras from cuttings.

Propagating Verbena in Water:

You Don’t Have to Propagate Verbena in Just Water

Using water to propagate verbenas is not the only way to do it. In fact it may be even EASIER to stick the cuttings in a pot of good soil. Keep the cuttings moist but not drenched and roots should form in the soil. The advantage to rooting in soil over rooting in water is that the roots immediately can take in the nutrients from the soil. Also since they are in the darkness of the soil the roots will form faster.

Keep Taking Cuttings to Keep Verbena Growing

Verbenas are extremely easy to root and your success rate should be high. Each fall I prepare a few rooted cuttings to overwinter in pots in the garage so that should one of my verbenas depart for that great garden in the sky I’ll have a replacement ready to go.

Visit the Plant Propagation Resources Page for equipment and supplies that may help you in growing new plants from cuttings.

Verbenas layer very easily so if you go out to examine your plant you may find new roots along its stem. If it does then you can sever the rooted section away from the main plant and move it to a new location.

And if you think verbena sounds easy, you should try propagating coleus.