Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Verbena
Species: V. bonariensis
Binomial name: Verbena bonariensis
Common names: Purple Top, Purpletop Vervain, Tall Verbena, Clustertop Vervain, Pretty Verbena

Verbena bonariensis is a tall and slender-stemmed perennial with creeping rhizomes. It can grow to 120 cm tall and can spread to 90 cm wide and can be found in metal dumps and waste place areas. At maturity, it will develop a woody base. Fragrant lavender to rose-purple flowers is in tight clusters located on the terminal and auxiliary stems, blooming from summer until autumn.
The stems are square with bristly hairs on the angle.
Leaves are ovate to ovate-lanceolate with a toothed margin and grow up to 10 cm long.
Common on wasteland Bellblock New Plymouth.

Verbena bonariensis.JPG

Plant after flowering July.
1-Verbena bonariensis..JPG

Verbena bonariensis Purple top-002.JPG

Verbena bonariensis Purple Top.JPG

Purple Top verbena bonariensis-5.JPG New stalk.
1-Verbena bonariensis.-007.JPG


A mature stalk of Verbena bonariensis
Verbena bonariensis Purple top-1.JPG

Verbena bonariensis Purple top-2.JPG  

1-Verbena bonariensis.-005.JPG

The underside of a leaf.
1-Verbena bonariensis.-006.JPG 

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/