Common Name: verbena
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Verbenaceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 0.25 to 0.50 feet
Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to August
Bloom Description: Bright pink
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Annual, Ground Cover, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
'Homestead Hot Pink' is best grown in evenly moist to dry, well-draining soil in full sun. Will tolerate light shade. Avoid wet, poorly drained soils. Hardy in Zones 6-9. Can be grown as an annual in colder climates.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Verbena is a genus of about 250 species of annuals, perennials and subshrubs from temperate and tropical areas of the Americas with a few from Southern Europe. They are grown for their showy flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Genus name comes from a Latin name used for some plants in religious ceremonies and also in medicine.
'Homestead Hot Pink' is a vigorous, hybrid verbena selection that features vibrant pink blooms and a spreading growth habit. This cultivar was selected from seed grown plants resulting from a cross between a pink-flowering Verbena canadensis and a hybrid verbena of unknown parentage with dark red flowers. Mature plants will reach 4-6" tall and spread to fill a 1.5-2' area. Starting in spring and extending through summer, rounded, 1.75" wide clusters of bright pink flowers bloom at the ends of the stems. US plant patent PP34360 applies to this cultivar.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note. May not be long-lived in the landscape. 'Homestead Hot Pink' offers good resistance to powdery mildew.
Uses
Mass or ground cover for rock gardens, mixed border fronts, and other sunny, well-draining garden situations. Suitable for large containers.