Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is in the Verbena Family family (Verbenaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 3,789 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Nationally it blooms mainly from July to August, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.
When to photograph Blue Vervain: observations by month (U.S.)
About Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata (American vervain, blue vervain or swamp verbena) is a flowering plant in the vervain family, Verbenaceae. It is a herb with opposite, simple leaves which have double-serate margins, borne on stiffly erect, branching square stems. The flowers appear in summer and are purple. This is a common plant that occurs across North America. They are hardy and drought resistant.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Blue Vervain by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 398 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Vermont | 367 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Massachusetts | 358 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Wisconsin | 324 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Ohio | 300 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Minnesota | 288 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Pennsylvania | 245 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Illinois | 234 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Michigan | 180 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Maine | 144 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Iowa | 115 | July | Jul–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 108 | July | Jul–Aug |
| New Jersey | 87 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Connecticut | 85 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Indiana | 84 | July | Jul–Aug |
| West Virginia | 65 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Maryland | 49 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Virginia | 48 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Kentucky | 46 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Utah | 40 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Missouri | 37 | August | Jul–Aug |
| North Carolina | 32 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Colorado | 26 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Rhode Island | 25 | August | Jul–Aug |
| South Dakota | 15 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Nebraska | 14 | August | Jul–Aug |
| North Dakota | 12 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Delaware | 11 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Arkansas | 10 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Tennessee | 8 | July | Jun–Sep |
| New Mexico | 7 | September | Jun–Sep |
| Oregon | 7 | August | Aug–Oct |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related wildflowers (Verbena Family)
Turkey Tangle Frogfruit
Lantana
White Vervain
Dakota mock vervain
Hoary Vervain
Texas lantana
Lanceleaf Frogfruit
Photography tips
- Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
- Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
- Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
- Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Vervain?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from July to August.
Where is Blue Vervain most often seen?
The most observations come from New York, Vermont, Massachusetts.