Tall verbena
Verbena bonariensis
An airy, see-through ornamental in the vervain family (Verbenaceae), native to South America and naturalized across the warm southeastern United States. NC State Extension describes an erect plant 2-5 feet tall on thin but strong red-marked green stems, topped from summer into fall by dense, flat-topped clusters of small tubular purple-lavender flowers held well above mostly basal, lance-shaped, serrated dark-green leaves. A perennial in USDA zones 7-11 (grown as an annual in colder climates), it is fast-growing, drought and deer tolerant, and a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds — though it self-sows freely and some sources have labeled it invasive.
Climate fit: moderate (46/100)
Border
Pollinator
Filler
Structure
Light
Full sun / Part sun
Water
Low water
Mature size
24-60" tall · 24" apart
Hardy in zones
7a-11b
cold to nearly frost-free winters
AHS heat range
6-12
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
No
A documented larval host for the Common buckeye — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Cold hardiness
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
Plotwright
USDA Zone 6b
-5°F to 0°F
Won't grow here
Zone 7a
Plotwright
0°F to 5°F
Marginal
In plain terms: This location has cold winters. Its winters are projected to keep warming through 2050.
✕→⚠
Out of range today, but marginally possible by 2050.
Heat tolerance
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 43 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 3 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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California coastal sage and chaparral
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Plant this, not that
Better fit for this place
For Chicago, IL, these are replacement suggestions: similar plants with a stronger hardiness fit now and/or in 2050.
Achillea filipendulina
Fern-leaf yarrow
A tall, sun-loving, drought-tolerant perennial in the daisy family, grown for its broad, flat-topped corymbs of tiny golden-yellow flowers held on stiff stems above finely divided, aromatic gray-green ferny foliage. Native to the Caucasus, Iran, and Afghanistan and long naturalized in gardens worldwide, it forms a tidy upright clump (rather than running like common yarrow) and is one of the most reliable, low-care pollinator and cut-flower plants for hot, dry, full-sun borders.
Better fit now and in 2050
Now: well-suited
2050: well-suited
Monarda fistulosa
Wild bergamot
A widespread native perennial in the mint family with showy lavender flower heads through summer, distinctly more drought-tolerant than its cousin scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma). Supports ruby-throated hummingbirds, hummingbird clearwing moths, three documented specialist bees, and provides stem-nesting bee shelter through winter.
Better fit now and in 2050
Now: well-suited
2050: well-suited
Rudbeckia fulgida
Black-eyed Susan
A tough, bright perennial for sunny borders, pollinator patches, and late-summer color.
Better fit now and in 2050
Now: well-suited
2050: well-suited
Pycnanthemum muticum
Short-toothed mountain mint
A clump-forming aromatic native perennial of eastern North America, grown as much for its silvery floral bracts as its bloom — the upper leaves below each flower head turn a frosted, dusty-mint color in summer. Dense flat-topped clusters of tiny two-lipped pinkish-white flowers cover the plant from mid to late summer and are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Unlike the true mints (Mentha), it spreads only modestly by rhizome and is not invasive.
Better fit now and in 2050
Now: well-suited
2050: well-suited
Similar plants
Browse lateral options with similar roles, light needs, size, or native-range overlap; these are not filtered for a better climate fit.
Achillea filipendulina
Fern-leaf yarrow
A tall, sun-loving, drought-tolerant perennial in the daisy family, grown for its broad, flat-topped corymbs of tiny golden-yellow flowers held on stiff stems above finely divided, aromatic gray-green ferny foliage. Native to the Caucasus, Iran, and Afghanistan and long naturalized in gardens worldwide, it forms a tidy upright clump (rather than running like common yarrow) and is one of the most reliable, low-care pollinator and cut-flower plants for hot, dry, full-sun borders.
Rudbeckia fulgida
Black-eyed Susan
A tough, bright perennial for sunny borders, pollinator patches, and late-summer color.
Penstemon eatonii
Firecracker penstemon
A dry-country wildflower of the Intermountain West whose narrow, scarlet, tubular flowers line a slender stalk that rises about 3 feet above a low rosette of glaucous blue-green leaves. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center documents it blooming red from May into August on dry, gravelly soils, and it is one of the classic hummingbird-pollinated penstemons. Deeply drought-tolerant once established — best on lean, well-drained ground where it is not over-watered.
Phlox paniculata
Garden phlox
A native upright perennial with fragrant midsummer flower panicles in pink, white, lavender, or red — a classic border anchor and hummingbird-friendly choice for sunny beds.
Echinacea purpurea
Purple coneflower
A drought-tolerant native perennial of the central and eastern United States with long summer bloom, strong pollinator value, and winter seedheads for birds.
Monarda didyma
Scarlet bee balm
A fragrant native perennial with red summer flowers that draw hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). Retrieved 2026, June 24, from https://plotwright.com/plants/verbena-bonariensis
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
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Designer notes