Aloysia virgata

Aloysia virgata, known as sweet almond verbena and sweet almond bush, is a perennial plant in the family Verbenaceae native to Argentina. It grows from Central Argentina up to Brazil and Peru, with multiple instances in Yucatan, Southeastern United States, and Texas.[2]

Aloysia virgata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Aloysia
Species:
A. virgata
Binomial name
Aloysia virgata
(Ruiz & Pav.) Juss.
Synonyms[1]
  • Lippia virgata (Ruiz & Pav.) Kuntze
  • Priva virgata (Ruiz & Pav.) Spreng.
  • Verbena virgata Ruiz & Pav.

Description

The large, shrubby bush has many small white flowers and grows up to around 8 to 15 feet tall, and about 8 feet wide.[3]

Name

The common names "sweet almond verbena" and "sweet almond bush" come from the fact that the plant smells of almonds.

Cultivation

Aloysia virgata is a popular cultivar for its sweet almond fragrance and for the fact that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds. It was elected one of the 2008 Florida Plants of the Year by the Florida Nursery, Landscape, and Growers Association.[4] It can be grown in USDA zones 7 to 9.[5][6] The plant can be propagated through vegetative reproduction and possibly layering.[5]

References
  1. "Catalogue of Life : Aloysia virgata (Ruiz & Pav.) Juss". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  2. "Search". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  3. "Sweet Almond in the Butterfly Garden". Friends of the Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  4. "Six Plants Named Florida Plants of the Year". Greenhouse Product News. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  5. Raymond, Louis. "Sweet Almond Verbena". www.louistheplantgeek.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. "Almond verbena | Central Texas Gardener". Retrieved 2020-05-06.
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