Flower profile
White vervain
Verbena urticifolia
White vervain is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Verbena urticifolia, known as nettle-leaved vervain or white vervain, is a herbaceous plant in the vervain family (Verbenaceae). It belongs to the "true" vervains of genus Verbena.
- It belongs to the Verbenaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 37 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. NatureServe
- In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,864 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #101 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 844 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #89 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 726 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #92 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist
White vervain gift ideas
Handmade white vervain gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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White vervain art print
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White vervain greeting card
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White vervain mug
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White vervain earrings
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White vervain embroidery pattern
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White vervain sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Illinois
- Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
- Indiana
- No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Indiana.
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- Iowa
- Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ME (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records white vervain in 37 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.
Indiana counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lagrange, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Orange, Owen, Parke, Pike, Porter, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, Wells, White, Whitley.
Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, DeKalb, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, Montgomery, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wright.
More Illinois flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VEUR.
- iNaturalist, Verbena urticifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Verbena urticifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
- Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
- Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Verbena urticifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.