Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) has many medicinal uses. I primarily use it to calm and ease all types of tension in the body. Tension can result in many conditions including spasms, tremors, pain, hypertension, headaches, dizziness, emotional tension, ADHD, menstrual and menopausal complaints, and more.

Blue Vervain is a n attractive plant that produces spikes of small purple flowers. It is a North American native that grows abundantly throughout the Great Plains region and beyond. It is a close relative of its European cousin, Verbena officinalis.

It is important to distinguish Blue Vervain from another North American cousin, Hoary Vervain ( Verbena stricta) when collecting for medicinal purposes. Even though these two plants have a lot in common, their medicinal effects are slightly different.  The most noticeable distinguishing characteristic is that Hoary Vervain has fuzzy leaves, and Blue Vervain doesn’t. Hoary Vervain’s flowers are also slightly bigger than Blue Vervain’s.

Blue Vervain – Verbena hastata

Hoary Vervain – Verbena stricta