Verbena stricta, also known as hoary verbena, hoary vervain, tall vervain, or woolly verbena, is a North American wildflower. It was first described by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in his work, Description des plantes nouvelles.
Distribution and habitat
V. stricta is native to the contiguous United States, Quebec, and Ontario.. It is mostly found in low fields, meadows, prairies, and along roadsides and other disturbed habitats''''''. == Description ==
Description
In ideal growing conditions, V. stricta can grow up to . Flowers are not all open at the same time'. Each flower is zygomorphic, consisting of a short corolla, four stamens, a small, toothed calyx, and five petals with a fused base, forming a slight tubular shape'. The petal lobes are unequal in size and length, with the two lateral lobes being slightly larger, and the bottom lobe bearing a small notch. Leaves The leaves are green in color and grow in an opposite arrangement along the side of the plant. Their edges are heavily serrate, and the shape is oval to obovate with a pointed tip. The stem and leaves of this plant are pubescent and may appear silvery-gray due to the density of the white hair that covers them, especially along the underside. Leaves lack a petiole. Fruit As the plant ages, the spike atop the plant will elongate. It will eventually seed and encapsulate four tiny nuts per flower. These fruit are usually 0.08–0.12 inches (2–3 mm) in length when ripe.'''''' == Biology ==
Biology
Verbena stricta is facultatively xenogamous: it can self-seed, but often cross-pollinates with V. hastata and V. urticifolia. Its foliage is commonly eaten by grasshoppers and the seeds are eaten by songbirds == Cultivation ==
Cultivation
V. stricta is prized as an ornamental plant due to its showy inflorescence and low maintenance, but it may also be considered a weed == References ==