Pollinator plant

Vervain

Verbena officinalis

Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Sign in to use recipes

Common names

53 names · 37 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Common vervain[2][3]
  • European Verbena[2][3]
  • Herb of the cross
+4 more namesShow fewer names
  • Herb-of-the-cross[1]
  • Prostrate verbena
  • Simpler's-joy[2][3]
  • Vervain[1]
Other languages (36)
Dutch
  • IJzerhard[2][3]
  • IJzerkruid
  • Strooikruid
French
Afrikaans
  • Europese Verbena[3]
Arabic
  • رعي الحمام الشائع[3]
  • رعي الحمام الطبي[3]
Armenian
  • Աղավնիճ դեղատու[3]
Bulgarian
  • Лечебна върбинка[3]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • sporýš lékařský[3]
Danish
  • Læge-jernurt[3]
Estonian
  • harilik raudürt[3]
Finnish
  • rohtoverbena[3]
Galician
German
  • Echtes Eisenkraut[2][3]
  • Gewöhnliches Eisenkraut[1]
Greek
  • Βερβένα η φαρμακευτική[3]
Hebrew
  • ורבנה רפואית[3]
Hungarian
  • Közönséges vasfű[3]
Italian
Japanese
  • クマツヅラ[3]
  • 熊葛[3]
Korean
Lithuanian
  • Vaistinė verbena[3]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Werbena lekarska[3]
  • Werbena pospolita[3]
  • witułka pospolita[3]
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
  • Вербена лекарственная[3]
Serbian
  • Обична врбена[3]
Slovak
  • železník lekársky[3]
Slovenian
  • Navadni sporiš[3]
Sotho
  • seona-se-seholo[3]
Spanish
Swedish
Thai
  • หญ้าแส้ม้า[3]
Turkish
  • güvercin otu[3]
  • mine çiçeği[3]
Ukrainian
  • Вербена лікарська[3]
Sources & name notes (3)

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

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

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 ↗

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. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • IJzerhard — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine officinale — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Common vervain — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Echtes Eisenkraut — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • European Verbena — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Simpler's-joy — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • verbena común — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine sauvage — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena comune — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena-comum — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
[3] Verbena officinalis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • IJzerhard — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine officinale — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Common vervain — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Echtes Eisenkraut — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • European Verbena — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Simpler's-joy — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • verbena común — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verveine sauvage — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena comune — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • Verbena-comum — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 56163; Verbena officinalis.
  • ורבנה רפואית — results[0].names[7]; 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Verbena officinalis is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Verbenaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Medium
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Herbaceous
Size
Small
Dimensions
0.60 m high × 0.50 m wide
Lifecycle
Perennial

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
4-8
Moisture
Moist
Soil
Sandy, Loamy, Clay
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Flowers, Leaves, Tea
Functions
Pollinator plant
Edibility
1 out of 5
Medicinal value
3 out of 5

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.

Sources and references

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

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Verbena officinalis — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 1456280; ID 5B2TY; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 1456280; ID 5B2TY; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.