Description Stiff, pencil-like spikes of numerous small, tubular, blue-violet flowers are at the top of a square, grooved stem and its branches.
Flowers: 1/8" (3 mm) wide; flaring petals 5; stamens in 2 pairs of different lengths; pistil 1, with 4-lobed ovary.
Leaves: 4-6" (10-15 cm) long, opposite, lanceolate, doubly toothed, rough-textured.

Flower July-September.

Habitat Damp thickets, shores, roadsides.

Range Throughout United States, except Florida, and Canadian provinces, except Alberta and Newfoundland.

Discussion An attractive perennial, it has flowers on showy candelabra-like spikes. Bumblebees are among the important pollinators. In ancient times the plant was thought to be a cure-all among medicinal plants and the genus name is Latin for "sacred plant." Hoary Vervain (V. stricta), to 10' (3 m) tall and with flowers 1/2" (1.3 cm) long, is most abundant in the Midwest and occurs sporadically eastward. Narrow-leaved Vervain (V. simplex), has narrow leaves and lavender flowers 1/3" (8 mm) long; it is a southwestern and midwestern species.