Verbena urticifolia
white vervain [Blooms: Jun-Sep]
White vervain (Verbena urticifolia) flowers and fruit. Top: flower spikes at the apex of a white vervain. Flowers open just behind the tip of the flower stalk. Bottom right: close-up of three white vervain flowers, two in lateral view and one face-on. The throat of the flower is obscured by radial hairs blocking the opening; the reproductive structures are not visible externally. In the lateral views, note the basic tubular nature of the blooms; the “petals” are actually lobes of the tube. Bottom left: a white vervain flower with the fruit (four nutlets nestled in the remnants of the calyx) visible in the background (arrows).
White vervain produces numerous 6″ long, widely spaced flower spikes, each covered by tiny (1/8″ wide) white flowers sparsely distributed along the length of the flower spike. Individual flowers consist of a hairy, tubular green calyx with five lance-like teeth and a curved, tubular corolla that abruptly flares into five short, rounded, brilliant-white lobes (“petals”). The throat of the flower is “bearded” (occluded by white filaments extending to the middle of the opening), hiding four stamens with greenish anthers, a green style, and a two-lobed stigma. The upper (more apical) two lobes of the corolla are slightly smaller than the other three (like prostrate vervain) and the tip of the lowermost lobe of the corolla is notched (like hoary vervain), but you’re not likely to confuse white vervain with any other Verbena. The fruit is four oblong nutlets nestled in the remnants of the calyx.
White vervain (Verbena urticifolia) stems and leaves. Bottom left: a white vervain stem with paired (opposite) leaves attached along the stem, each pair rotated 90° from the pairs above and below. Note the resemblance of white vervain’s leaves to the leaves of stinging nettle. Top left: a close-up of a section of white vervain’s very hairy stem. Right: a single leaf of white vervain showing the upper surface of the leaf (top image) and the underside of the same leaf (bottom image).
White vervain (aka, nettle-leaved vervain) is a native perennial, a Verbena that went in the other direction from (the literally) prostrate vervain. White vervain is a tall (3-6 foot), gangly plant with long, sparse flower spikes. The main stem is light green, square in section (four-angled), hollow, and covered with long hairs. The leaves are opposite, up to 6″ long and 2.25″ wide, lance-shaped with a rounded base, coarsely serrated margins, and 2″ long winged petioles; the veins appear to be impressed into the upper surface of the leaf blade. The leaves are strikingly similar to the leaves of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica).
A white vervain (Verbena urticifolia) plant growing on the southwest shore of West Lagoon. The sprays of flower spikes emerge from the tips of the stems and branches. Top left: a closer view of the tip of a branch with profuse flower spikes. In both preceding images, the flowers are visible only as white spots. Bottom left: an extreme closeup of a single, 1/8″ diameter flower.
White vervain (aka, nettle-leaved vervain) is a native perennial, a Verbena that went in the other direction from (the literally) prostrate vervain. White vervain is a tall (3-6 foot), gangly plant with long, sparse flower spikes. The main stem is light green, square in section (four-angled), hollow, and covered with long hairs. The leaves are opposite, up to 6″ long and 2.25″ wide, lance-shaped with a rounded base, coarsely serrated margins, and 2″ long winged petioles; the veins appear to be impressed into the upper surface of the leaf blade. The leaves are strikingly similar to the leaves of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). There are numerous 6″ long, widely spaced flower spikes, each covered by tiny (1/8″ wide) white flowers sparsely distributed along the length of the flower spike. Individual flowers consist of a hairy, tubular green calyx with five lance-like teeth and a curved, tubular corolla that abruptly flares into five short, rounded, brilliant-white lobes (“petals”). The throat of the flower is “bearded” (occluded by white filaments extending to the middle of the opening), hiding four stamens with greenish anthers, a green style, and a two-lobed stigma. The upper (more apical) two lobes of the corolla are slightly smaller than the other three (like prostrate vervain) and the tip of the lowermost lobe of the corolla is notched (like hoary vervain), but you’re not likely to confuse white vervain with any other Verbena. The fruit is four oblong nutlets nestled in the remnants of the calyx.
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![Evening primrose — clusters of yellow flowers occur at the apex of the plant. The flowers are 1-2" across, with four 1/2-1" long green sepals strongly reflected over a long (3/4-2"), green, cylindrical floral tube (the ovary is located just above the leaf axil), four heart-shaped yellow petals, eight stamens, and a single style with an X-shaped stigma. The sepals typically remain connected (in pairs) along one edge until the flower opens. The seedpods develop within the ovary (the base of the elongate floral tube); they are hairy, urn-shaped with rounded edges, and have four or eight small lobes on the apex. The seeds are claimed to remain viable in the soil for up to 70 years. The flowers open at dusk and close early in the day. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_biennis-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Northern evening primrose flowers are 3/4-1.5" across, have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; the stamens are as long or longer than the petals and the stigma is nearly fills the floral opening. At the base of the flower are four sepals 1/2-1" long, that bend back along the 3/4-1.5" long floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. Only northern evening primrose with a distinct ridge or knob near the tips of the sepals. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is 3/4-1.5" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four robust, flaring lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals and is the only one of the three evening primroses to (sometimes) have reddish color on some or all of the midvein of the leaves. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_parviflora-1t-300x300.jpg)
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