Specimen record
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Description
A tall, stiffly erect wetland wildflower with distinctive candelabra-like branching and multiple slender spikes of small violet-blue flowers. The flowers open in a ring that progresses upward along each spike over several weeks, so only a narrow band of flowers is open on any given day. Found along moist roadsides, pond edges, and ditches throughout the Southborough area.
Identification tips
- 1Multiple slender pencil-like flower spikes in a candelabra arrangement
- 2Tiny violet-blue flowers open in a narrow ring that moves up each spike
- 3Opposite, lance-shaped leaves with coarsely serrated margins
- 4Stiff, square stems (like mints, but in a different family)
- 5Grows 60–150 cm tall in moist, sunny habitats
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a stem showing the candelabra branching pattern with flower spikes. The small flowers are individually unremarkable, but the ascending ring-bloom pattern is the key feature — note this on the label. Include a section showing the opposite leaves.
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into September.
Flowering records: 340 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 312 observations within 25 km