Photos of Glandularia canadensis, Verbena canadensis, Rose Vervain, Rose Verbena

Glandularia canadensis, Verbena canadensis, Rose Vervain, Rose Verbena is one of our earliest spring wildflowers in the Ozarks, blooming by the first week of March and stretching into May or later. Search as I may for historical or present medicinal use, I find its only discernible quality to be infinite beauty—under its most familiar scientific names. Under the synonym Verbena aubletia L., in 1863 we find a note by Francis Porcher that it contains a very acrid mucilage. In 1886 John Maisch, pharmacist, described it as mucilaginous and acrid. Linnaeus called it Buchnera canadensis. It was also known by the English name cut-leaved rose vervain and was introduced to English gardens in 1774 by "Mons. Richard" according to Wm. Aiton in Volume 1 of Hortus Kewensis, 1789. It is described in detail as plate #308 in Curtis's Botanical Magazine Volume IX in 1795. A sometimes forgotten native perennial, it is a drought-resistant and long-flowering ornamental of great potential. So, there is more to this plant than meets the eye or information in current wildflower books.

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