Petals & Roots: Why I'm Multiplying My Favorite Heatwave-Resistant Plant to Future-Proof My Backyard
I'm rethinking my plants post-heatwave
Late August is always the time I start taking cuttings from lots of my favorite perennials, and this year I am thinking about it a little differently. I'm not just interested in the plants I love the most for their fragrance and textures, I'm looking at what survived through this summer's long heatwave.
My 2026 summer garden star is Verbena bonariensis, which is also known as purple top vervain. It did not falter in the long periods of drought and heat we experienced. In fact, it continued to grow and thrive, and I have never seen so many butterflies and bees fluttering around it as I did this year.
In this weekend's episode of Petals & Roots, which you can watch below, I show you how take verbena cuttings, and here I talk more about why I'm choosing to propagate heat-resistant plants as I think about all the ways I can future-proof my yard.
What You Need to Propagate Verbena Cuttings
- An established, healthy Verbena bonariensis plant
- Sharp, clean pruning shears or snips; I highly recommend these Fiskars ones from Amazon
- Plastic or Terracotta pots, just like this set I found on Amazon
- Potting compost, available from Walmart
- A pencil or dibber
- A small watering can, such as this one from Target
Why Propagating Verbena Will Future-Proof Your Yard
As regular viewers of Petals & Roots will know, I love to propagate plants in my garden. One reason is because it's very large, and taking cuttings is the best way to fill my yard without spending a fortune!
But another reason I'm propagating Verbena bonariensis because it is one of my favourite plants for a hot, sunny garden.
This summer it has proven to be incredibly resilient in warm, dry conditions and once established, it can cope remarkably well with periods of heat and drought.
I love the way it brings height and movement without feeling heavy, with those tall, slender stems carrying clouds of purple flowers above the rest of the planting.
It's also a brilliant plant for pollinators, so it earns its place in my garden for more than just its resilience. When many of my annuals, and even some young salvias, had faded early owing to the extreme heat, verbena provided a safe haven for the butterflies and bees.
The reason I added it to my garden initially was to create height and color quickly in front of a bare fence. I added four young plants to a bed in early May, and was astounded by the speed at which it grew and spread.
The best way to propagate verbena is by taking cuttings from the side shoots, and there were too many to count on my plants. You can also divide well-established verbena, and the best time to do this is either fall or spring.
There are several different verbena varieties; Peruvian and rose vervain are also great plants for heat.
Other plants that I would also put into this category based on their stellar performance this summer are lavender and catmint. Both of these must-have perennials thrived and flowered despite the heat and the lack of water.
To conserve water, I restricted my watering to the container vegetables and some tender patio pots. Luckily, the potted pelargoniums were also fine in the heat, and if you also grow them, you might enjoy this recent Petals & Roots episode on how to propagate these tender geraniums.
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Petals & Roots is a weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every weekend on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.
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