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Vebena bonierensis - all foliage and no flowers

scott.a.cunningtonscott.a.cunnington Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hello - can anyone help explain why the V. bonierensis in my garden isn't producing flowers with petals. It has lots of lush foliage but the flowers never seem to develop and just look a bit like catkins with no petals.

They are growing in a sunny spot in loamy soil. 
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  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    Are you sure it is Verbena Bonariensis? According to various websites it is a late Summer flowerer, but mine has been up for a few weeks now due to the hot weather. I would not describe my foliage as lush though. Here is a photo taken a few minutes ago:


    SW Scotland
  • scott.a.cunningtonscott.a.cunnington Posts: 3
    I bought it as Vebena bonierensis from a garden centre. The "mother"  plants that come back in the same place each year never flower like the photo, whereas its seedlings which are self-setters grow normally.


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    How can it have seedlings if it never flowers? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have something that might be verbena rigida that has masses of foliage and no sign of any foliage. Still. Over five ft tall now. Square stems. It's grown into manure and compost (I didn't plant it.) I too hope something will emerge after all the waiting. Is mine anything like yours?
  • scott.a.cunningtonscott.a.cunnington Posts: 3
    It produces furry flowers that look a bit like catkins but no real petals. Insects still seem to pollinate it. I've tried uploading a photo but can't seem to get a photo to attach to the post.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They prefer quite poor soil, so if the soil's too rich, you may get foliage at the expense of flowers.
    Scott- the photos may be too big. If you can resize them to about 1MB or less, that helps. You can drag photos from your library which is often easier. 
    As Dove says - if you have seedlings, it must be flowering. The flower heads are very small compared to the size of the plant, as in Purplerain's photo.
    Up here, I wouldn't expect the to be flowering yet, unless they were in pots, or if it's much warmer, as it has been this year.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "It produces furry flowers that look a bit like catkins"

    It doesn't sound like verbena bon. Could it be pendulous sedge?




  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Oh 'eck Fire - you could be right. Hope not!  :o
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    My VB here in the Midlands has flowered as usual but is about half the height it was last year. Found a few seedlings scattered about so saving those for next year as I want to plant them with cosmos Purity, had them together years ago it was a stunning combination. 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    debs, mine sound similar to yours. Stunted growth but flowering well. I'm sure its the weird weather that has produced these anomalies. I love the sound of the blue and white together.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
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