Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
White Vervain
Verbena urticifolia
[C-value
10]
Vervain family (Verbenaceae)
Blooms
July -
mid-September
The native White Vervain is common in our area. It prefers partial sun and slightly moist fertile loamy soil. Habitats include open disturbed woodlands, woodland borders, thickets, semi-shaded areas along paths and damp meadows along streams. This biennial is about 3-6' tall and branches occasionally with a stout, 4-angled, central stem covered with hairs. Its opposite leaves are up to 6" long and 2¼" across, lance-shaped and coarsely toothed. The central stem (and some side stems) terminates in a panicle of floral spikes up to 2' long and half as much across. Each panicle has narrow ascending branches, up to 6" long, giving the plant an airy "bad hair day" appearance. Small white flowers are sparsely distributed along each of these branches. Each flower, about 1/8" across, has a white corolla with 5 rounded petals. Only a few flowers bloom at the same time.
White Vervain at Maramech Forest Preserve July 8, 2017
White Vervain at Lyon Forest Preserve July 20, 2013
White Vervain at Harris Forest Preserve September 12, 2013
White Vervain foliage at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve August 13, 2013
White Vervain at Subat Forest Preserve August 14, 2013
White Vervain (with many seedpods) along the Fox River September 17, 2014
White Vervain along the Fox River September 17, 2014
White Vervain fall remains at Richard Young Forest Preserve October 14, 2015
White Vervain fall remains at Hoover Forest Preserve October 29, 2014
White Vervain fall seedpods at Richard Young Forest Preserve October 14, 2015
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