Botanical Name: Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’ Common Name: Purple Verbena Hardiness Zone: Perennial in Zones 7–11; Grown as an Annual in Colder Climates Size: 24–30" Tall × 18–24" Spread Growth Habit: Upright, Airy, Well-Branched Sunlight: Full Sun Soil: Well-Drained Soil; Tolerates Poor Soils Water Needs: Low to Moderate; Drought Tolerant Once Established Bloom Season: Early Summer through Frost Fertilizer: Minimal; Excess Fertilizer Reduces Flowering Features: Lavender-Purple Flower Clusters, Compact Height, Pollinator Magnet, Heat & Drought Tolerant Uses: Garden Beds, Borders, Pollinator Gardens, Containers, Cut Flowers Patent: ✔ Patented Propagation: ❌ Propagation Prohibited Without License

More About Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’

Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’ delivers the same airy elegance and long-blooming lavender-purple flowers as traditional tall verbena—but in a more compact, garden-friendly form. Tight clusters of nectar-rich blooms float above slender stems, creating movement and a light, see-through effect that blends beautifully with surrounding plants.

Unlike standard Verbena bonariensis, which can tower over beds, ‘Lollipop’ was bred to stay shorter and sturdier, making it easier to integrate into mixed borders and containers without flopping or overwhelming nearby plantings.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials, ‘Lollipop’ has been exceptionally dependable in heat, drought, and lean soils. It thrives in full sun with minimal care, flowers continuously without deadheading, and never looks bulky or out of place.

We especially love its pollinator value. Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects flock to it all season long, yet the plant remains refined and tidy. It adds height and texture without casting shade, making it one of our favorite “weaving” plants for layered garden designs.

Lollipop vs. Other Verbena Varieties

If Verbena bonariensis is about height, movement, and pollinators, Lollipop and Vanity are the two clear leaders—but they serve slightly different gardeners. Lollipop is the classic: tall, airy, and informal, with lavender-purple blooms floating above borders in true cottage-garden fashion. It excels at weaving through plantings and attracting pollinators, but its growth can be less predictable from plant to plant. Vanity, by contrast, takes that same architectural form and refines it—stronger stems, better uniformity, and cleaner presentation, all while retaining the same pollinator value. 

Compared to EnduraScape™ Purple Fizz, which delivers purple tones with bicolor highlights in a dense, spreading habit, Lollipop is intentionally loose and vertical rather than uniform and grounding. Against Homestead Purple, Lollipop trades carpet-like coverage and toughness for height and lightness, serving a completely different design role. For gardeners who want purple expressed as movement and atmosphere rather than mass and structure, Lollipop remains unmatched.