Plant Details

Verbena officinalis

Vervain, Herb of the cross, Prostrate verbena

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Common names

51 names · 37 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Common vervain[2]
  • European Verbena[2]
  • Herb of the cross
+4 more namesShow fewer names
  • Herb-of-the-cross[1]
  • Prostrate verbena
  • Simpler's-joy[2]
  • Vervain[1]
Other languages (36)
Dutch
French
  • Verveine officinale[2]
  • Verveine sauvage[2]
Afrikaans
  • Europese Verbena[2]
Arabic
  • رعي الحمام الشائع[2]
  • رعي الحمام الطبي[2]
Armenian
  • Աղավնիճ դեղատու[2]
Bulgarian
  • Лечебна върбинка[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • sporýš lékařský[2]
Danish
  • Læge-jernurt[2]
Estonian
  • harilik raudürt[2]
Finnish
  • rohtoverbena[2]
Galician
German
  • Echtes Eisenkraut[2]
  • Gewöhnliches Eisenkraut[1]
Greek
  • Βερβένα η φαρμακευτική[2]
Hebrew
  • ורבנה רפואית[2]
Hungarian
  • Közönséges vasfű[2]
Italian
  • Verbena comune[2]
Japanese
  • クマツヅラ[2]
  • 熊葛[2]
Korean
Lithuanian
  • Vaistinė verbena[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Werbena lekarska[2]
  • Werbena pospolita[2]
  • witułka pospolita[2]
Portuguese
  • Verbena-comum[2]
Romanian
Russian
  • Вербена лекарственная[2]
Serbian
  • Обична врбена[2]
Slovak
  • železník lekársky[2]
Slovenian
  • Navadni sporiš[2]
Sotho
  • seona-se-seholo[2]
Spanish
  • Verbena comun[1]
  • verbena común[2]
Swedish
Thai
  • หญ้าแส้ม้า[2]
Turkish
  • güvercin otu[2]
  • mine çiçeği[2]
Ukrainian
  • Вербена лікарська[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Verbena officinalis L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Gewöhnliches Eisenkraut (DE); Vervain — VernacularName.tsv, line 157948; taxon 5B2TY.
  • Herb-of-the-cross (EN); Verbena comun (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 157949; taxon 5B2TY.
[2] Verbena officinalis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Common vervain — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • IJzerhard — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Simpler's-joy — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Echtes Eisenkraut — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena-comum — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena comune — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • ורבנה רפואית — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine officinale — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Berbena — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • sporýš lékařský — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • クマツヅラ — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Βερβένα η φαρμακευτική — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • 馬鞭草 — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Læge-jernurt — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • verbena común — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • jernurt — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Лечебна върбинка — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Вербена лекарственная — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • rohtoverbena — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Közönséges vasfű — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • رعي الحمام الطبي — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • رعي الحمام الشائع — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • järnört — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • 马鞭草 — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • mine çiçeği — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • güvercin otu — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine sauvage — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Вербена лікарська — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Աղավնիճ դեղատու — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • หญ้าแส้ม้า — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • 마편초 — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • harilik raudürt — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verxebán — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Europese Verbena — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • European Verbena — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • seona-se-seholo — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Vaistinė verbena — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Navadni sporiš — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Werbena pospolita — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Sporici — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • 熊葛 — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Werbena lekarska — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • witułka pospolita — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • železník lekársky — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Обична врбена — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.

General information

Scientific name: Verbena officinalis
Accepted name (Kew): Verbena officinalis L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Verbenaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Verbena (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Vervain, Herb of the cross, Prostrate verbena
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.60 m
Spread: 0.50 m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-8
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Flowers, Leaves, Tea
Edibility rating:
(1)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Bee forage

Description

Leaves: The leaves of the plant are often cooked, seasoned, and then eaten. They can also serve as a substitute for coffee. Flowers: The flowers are often used for decoration.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/07
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 184268; name ID 212056; Verbena L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 186042; name ID 212527; Verbena officinalis L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Verbena officinalis

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 1456280, ID 5B2TY: Verbena officinalis L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .