Verbena

I have a red verbena in a flower bed that is the toughest plant in my garden. I think it has done exceptionally well because of dry conditions the last couple years. In wet weather my experience with verbena has not been good due to powdery mildew. I saw this morning on science daily the release of a new verbena called "Raider Amethyst" which is described as both extremely drought tolerant but colorful and long blooming. The color looks great as seen here at Texas Techs website. Even though this is a native plant west of the Mississippi it may be worth trying here especially in the droughtier soils or in containers. I am trying to get some seed to plant next year and I will report back on my results.