Pronounciation: Glan-du-LAR-ee-a RI-gi-da

Hardiness zones
Sunset All, perennial in warmer climates
USDA All, perennial in warmer climates

Landscape Use: Accent and/or border plant for xeric landscape areas, ground cover for smaller landscape spaces, rock gardens.

Form & Character: Low, prostrate and spreading, generally 'rough looking' and unkept in appearance when not flowering and very stiff and open, especially when young.

Growth Habit: Short-lived, herbaceous perennial, moderately slow growth rate to 1-feet tall and up to 3-feet wide. Sometimes slow to establish in the landscape.

Foliage/Texture: Sessile, strongly scabrous (nature's sandpaper), dull green, irregularly serrate, oblong and clasping, medium to medium-coarse texture

Flowers & Fruits: Clusters of light purple flowers on extended spikes arranged in threes; fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Purple or magenta flowers throughout the year.

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun to partial shade that protects from exposure to summer western sun.

Soil: Fast-draining soils are best, prefers sandy soil textures. Sandpaper verbena is quite salt sensitive. In Phoenix, best used in landscaped areas mulched with decomposing granite.

Watering: Infrequent to regular water in Phoenix. Salt burn on leaf margins (marginal necrosis) in Phoenix is common because of the moderate levels of salinity (usually around 600 to 800 ppm TDS or total dissolved solids) in local municipal water sources. Irrigation with drip systems can exacerbate exposure to salt build up in the soil causing plant failure.

Pruning: Mostly none, except to head back after flowering.

Propagation: Seed, generally easy.

Disease and Pests: Root rot if soil is poorly drained.

Additional comments: Currently, sandpaper verbena is the least used of all Glandularia taxa in Phoenix landscapes because of its propensity to have marginal leaf necrosis and tatter. Sometimes it is best used as an annual landscape bedding plant. Roots are tuberous. Blooms first year from seed. White-flowering cultivar called 'Alba'.