Complete Plant Guide

Verbena bonariensis, commonly known as purpletop vervain or tall verbena, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to South America. It is prized for its tall, slender, nearly leafless stems topped with clusters of small purple-lilac flowers. It grows in upright clumps and is widely used in naturalistic garden design, attracting butterflies and other pollinators.

3353

Blue Vervain

Verbena hastata

Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) is a native North American wildflower found in wet meadows, prairies, and along stream banks. This upright perennial produces slender, candelabra-like spikes of tiny violet-blue flowers from midsummer through early fall, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Historically used by Indigenous peoples and early settlers as a medicinal herb, it remains a popular choice for rain gardens, pollinator borders, and naturalized wet areas.

3354

Garden Verbena

Verbena hybrida

Easy 💧 5 days ☀️ Direct sun

Verbena hybrida, commonly known as Garden Verbena, is a semi-evergreen flowering plant originating from South America. It produces clusters of small, vividly colored flowers in shades of purple, red, pink, white, lavender, and coral. Widely grown as an annual in temperate climates, it thrives in full sun and is popular for hanging baskets, window boxes, and garden borders.

3355

Common Vervain

Verbena officinalis

Common vervain (Verbena officinalis) is a herbaceous perennial in the Verbenaceae family, native to Europe and now naturalized across temperate regions worldwide. It forms upright clumps 60-90 cm tall with opposite, deeply lobed and toothed leaves, and produces slender, wiry flower spikes bearing small tubular lilac to pale purple flowers from summer into early fall. A tough, easy-to-grow plant, it has been prized as a medicinal herb since ancient Roman times.

3356

Slender Vervain

Verbena rigida

Easy 💧 10 days ☀️ Direct sun

Verbena rigida is a low-growing, spreading perennial native to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, prized for its rough, sandpaper-textured leaves and dense clusters of vivid purple-magenta flowers. It forms a mat-like groundcover via underground rhizomes and blooms continuously from late spring through fall, making it a favorite for sunny borders, rock gardens, and pollinator plantings.

3357

Golden Crownbeard

Verbesina encelioides

Verbesina encelioides, commonly known as Golden Crownbeard or Cowpen Daisy, is a hardy annual herb in the sunflower family. It is recognized by its grayish-green, triangular leaves and vibrant yellow daisy-like flowers with notched petals. It is highly adaptable to disturbed soils and arid environments, often forming dense colonies.

3358

Tung Oil Tree

Vernicia fordii

Medium 💧 10 days ☀️ Direct sun

Vernicia fordii, commonly known as the Tung Oil Tree, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to China. It belongs to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae and has been cultivated for centuries for its seeds, which yield tung oil — a valuable drying oil used in paints, varnishes, and wood finishes. The tree produces beautiful clusters of white to pink flowers with dark purple veining in late winter to early spring, before the leaves emerge. While ornamentally attractive, all parts of the plant are severely toxic.

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3359

Brazilian Ironweed

Vernonanthura polyanthes

Easy ☀️ Partial shade

A shrub or small tree native to Brazil, reaching 2.5 to 3 meters in height, with a woody stem and simple, alternate, lanceolate leaves. Small white, off-white, or pinkish flowers in terminal heads. Native to the Cerrado and disturbed areas, distributed across Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina. An aggressive colonizing species of roadsides and forest edges, it resprouts well after cutting and fire. A hardy and vigorous plant with rapid growth.

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3360

Speedwell

Veronica

Easy 💧 10 days ☀️ Bright indirect

Veronica, commonly known as Speedwell, is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, comprising over 500 species. Native mainly to Europe, these cheerful perennials produce tall, slender spikes of small four-petaled flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white from spring through fall. Their upright, wand-like flower spikes make them stand out in cottage gardens, borders, and naturalistic plantings. Groundcover types spread low and are excellent for rock gardens and erosion control.

3361

Franciscan Hebe

Veronica × franciscana

Franciscan Hebe (Veronica × franciscana) is a dense, rounded evergreen shrub prized for its glossy oval leaves and short spikes of purple summer flowers. A garden hybrid between Veronica elliptica and V. speciosa, it thrives in coastal and mild-winter gardens, tolerating salt spray, wind and drought once established.

3362

Germander Speedwell

Veronica chamaedrys

Easy ☀️ Bright indirect

Veronica chamaedrys is a low-growing herbaceous perennial native to Europe, belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. This hardy wildflower features creeping stems that form dense mats up to 50 cm wide, producing striking deep blue flowers with white centers from spring through early summer. The leaves are opposite, triangular, and finely toothed. Highly adaptable and low-maintenance, it excels as a ground cover in wildlife gardens, wildflower meadows, and natural lawns. Extremely cold-hardy and recognized with the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

3363

New Zealand Hebe

Veronica speciosa

Veronica speciosa, commonly known as the New Zealand Hebe or showy hebe, is a dense evergreen shrub native to the coastal cliffs of New Zealand's North Island. Prized for its glossy, leathery leaves and striking spikes of deep pink to purple flowers that bloom through summer, it forms a compact, rounded mound perfect for coastal and city gardens. Highly salt-tolerant, it thrives in exposed seaside positions while also making an excellent low-maintenance ornamental shrub inland.

3364

Spiked Speedwell

Veronica spicata

Veronica spicata, commonly known as Spiked Speedwell, is a hardy perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. It produces striking upright spikes of tiny blue, purple, pink, or white flowers in summer, making it a favourite in cottage gardens and pollinator-friendly borders. A vigorous, low-maintenance plant that thrives in full sun with well-drained soil.

3365

Wayfaring Tree

Viburnum lantana

Viburnum lantana, commonly known as the wayfaring tree, is a robust deciduous shrub native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It forms a broad, multi-stemmed mound of felty, grey-green leaves that turn deep red-purple in autumn. Flat clusters of small creamy-white flowers open in late spring, followed by berries that ripen from green to red and finally glossy black, often showing several colors on the same cluster at once. Traditionally planted along hedgerows and footpaths, it earned its common name for marking the way for travelers across the English countryside.

3366

Chinese Snowball Viburnum

Viburnum macrocephalum

Viburnum macrocephalum, known as the Chinese snowball viburnum, is a rounded, vase-shaped deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub native to mainland China. It is prized for its enormous spherical flower clusters, which open lime-green and mature to pure white, resembling giant snowballs held above dark green, serrated leaves.

3367

Sweet Viburnum

Viburnum odoratissimum

Medium 💧 7 days ☀️ Bright indirect

Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is a large, fast-growing evergreen shrub prized across warm climates for its dense, glossy foliage and its ability to form an impenetrable privacy hedge in just a few seasons. Native to East and Southeast Asia, it produces broad, leathery, deep-green leaves and, in late spring to early summer, showy conical clusters of small white flowers with a sweet, honey-like fragrance that gives the plant its name. The flowers are followed by small red fruits that ripen to black. Left unpruned, Sweet Viburnum can reach 4-6 m tall and wide, but it takes shearing extremely well and is one of the most popular screening and hedging shrubs in subtropical and warm-temperate landscapes.

3368

Guelder Rose

Viburnum opulus

Viburnum opulus, commonly known as Guelder Rose or European Cranberrybush, is a deciduous shrub native to Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. It produces spectacular flat-topped clusters of white flowers in late spring, followed by brilliant red berries that persist into winter. The lobed, maple-like leaves turn red-purple in autumn, making this a four-season garden plant beloved by wildlife.

3369

Laurustinus

Viburnum tinus

Easy 💧 10 days ☀️ Bright indirect

Laurustinus is a dense, evergreen Mediterranean shrub prized for its leathery dark-green leaves and clusters of pink-budded white flowers that open through the winter months. Following the blooms, it produces small, metallic blue-black berries that add extra seasonal interest and attract birds. Hardy and low-maintenance, it is widely used as a hedge, screen or specimen shrub in mild-winter gardens.

3370

Vetch

Vicia

Vicia is a large genus of climbing and scrambling legumes commonly called vetches, native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. With over 240 species, vetches are best known as nitrogen-fixing cover crops and livestock forage, though some species have been cultivated as food for thousands of years. Their slender, trailing stems climb via tendrils, bearing pea-like flowers in shades of purple, pink, blue, and white from spring through summer.

3371

Lentil

Vicia lens

Hard 💧 7 days ☀️ Direct sun

The lentil (Vicia lens) is an annual legume native to Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean, cultivated for over 9,000 years. A short-cycle crop producing small protein- and fiber-rich seeds, it is one of the oldest food plants in human history.

3372

Amazon Water Lily

Victoria amazonica

Victoria amazonica, known as the Amazon Water Lily or Giant Water Lily, is the largest aquatic plant in the world, native to the Amazon River basin in South America. Its enormous circular floating leaves can reach up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in diameter, with upturned rims that give them a tray-like appearance. The night-blooming flowers last only 48 hours, opening white on the first night and turning deep pink to purple on the second, before closing permanently. It is one of the most iconic symbols of the Amazon rainforest.

3373

Black-eyed pea

Vigna unguiculata

Easy 💧 7 days ☀️ Partial shade

The black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata) is an annual legume native to West Africa, widely grown across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Recognized by its distinctive black spot around the hilum, it is one of humanity's oldest and most nutritious food crops, rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients. It also plays a vital role in soil health by fixing atmospheric nitrogen.

3374

Greater Periwinkle

Vinca major

Vinca major, commonly known as Greater Periwinkle, is a vigorous evergreen ground cover native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. It produces glossy dark green leaves and charming five-petaled violet-blue flowers from spring through summer. Fast-spreading and highly adaptable, it thrives in partial shade and is widely used to cover slopes, suppress weeds, and fill shaded garden areas. Despite its ornamental appeal, it can become invasive outside its native range.

3375

Lesser Periwinkle

Vinca minor

Easy 💧 10 days ☀️ Partial shade

Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a low-growing, evergreen perennial ground cover native to central and southern Europe. It produces charming star-shaped flowers in shades of violet-blue, lavender, or white atop a dense mat of glossy dark-green leaves. Thriving in shaded spots where few other plants succeed, it is a staple of woodland gardens, slopes, and areas under trees. The plant contains vinca alkaloids (including vincamine) that are toxic if ingested by humans, cats, or dogs, though it is generally safe to handle.

3376

Variegated Lesser Periwinkle

Vinca minor 'Variegata'

Easy 💧 7 days ☀️ Partial shade

Variegated lesser periwinkle is a low, trailing evergreen subshrub in the Apocynaceae family, native to central and southern Europe, prized for its grey-green oval leaves edged in creamy white. Its wiry stems root at the nodes wherever they touch soil, quickly forming a dense mat, and it produces solitary violet-blue, five-lobed flowers mainly in spring. It is exceptionally tough, tolerating anything from full sun to deep shade.

3377

Black Swallow-wort

Vincetoxicum nigrum

Easy 💧 4 days ☀️ Partial shade

Black Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nigrum) is a perennial herbaceous twining vine native to Mediterranean Europe. It produces small star-shaped flowers in deep black to dark purple hues during late spring and summer. Highly invasive in North America, it forms dense colonies that crowd out native vegetation. All plant parts are severely toxic.

3378

Sweet Violet

Viola

Sweet Violet (Viola) is a low, spreading perennial prized for its heart-shaped leaves and small, deeply fragrant purple, blue, or white flowers that open in early spring. Native to Europe and temperate Asia, it forms neat rosettes that creep gently by runners, making it a classic choice for shaded borders, woodland gardens, and containers. Both flowers and leaves are edible and have been used since antiquity for perfume, confectionery, and folk medicine.

3379

Field Pansy

Viola arvensis

Easy 💧 4 days ☀️ Bright indirect

Viola arvensis, the field pansy, is a low-growing annual to biennial wildflower native to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. It forms a basal rosette of spoon-shaped leaves with bluntly toothed edges and produces small, five-petaled flowers usually creamy white to pale yellow with a purple-flecked lower petal, though color can vary. Widely naturalized, it thrives in disturbed soils, meadows, and cultivated fields, flowering from early spring through fall.

3380

Sweet Violet

Viola odorata

Easy 💧 4 days ☀️ Partial shade

Sweet violet is a low-growing, hardy herbaceous perennial native to Europe and western Asia, prized for its sweetly fragrant purple or white flowers and heart-shaped leaves. It spreads via stolons to form a dense flowering mat, making it a popular ground cover for shaded borders and woodland gardens.

3381

Common Blue Violet

Viola sororia

Easy 💧 4 days ☀️ Partial shade

Viola sororia, commonly known as the Common Blue Violet or Wood Violet, is a native North American herbaceous perennial celebrated for its charming blue-purple spring flowers. It thrives in moist, shaded woodland edges, meadows, and naturalistic gardens. Hardy from zones 3a to 7b, it self-seeds freely and spreads via rhizomes, making it an excellent low-maintenance ground cover for shaded areas.

3382

Wild Pansy

Viola tricolor

Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor) is a small herbaceous plant native to Europe and Western Asia, considered the wild ancestor of modern cultivated pansies. It produces charming tricolor flowers in shades of purple, yellow, and white, blooming from winter through summer.

3383

Pansy

Viola x wittrockiana