Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata, also known as Blue Vervain, is a perennial wildflower native to Michigan and the UP. This is one of my favorite flowers because it was one of the few natives to survive generations of logging and farming on our property. The splash of blue was always welcome sticking up above the non-native pasture grasses.
Blue vervain reaches 3 to 5 feet tall and flowers from July to September with a candelabra of blue blossoms. It is naturally found in wetlands or near streams and lakes, and prefers full sun to partial shade, medium to wet soil, growing in muck, clay, loam or sand. With a touch of water during drought, it is just fine as a garden plant in regular soil. This short-lived perennial spreads slowly by rhizome and may reseed in ideal conditions. It has a long bloom time, making it popular with pollinators.
It is important to get UP genotype plants (like ours!) for this species. We have observed plantings containing genotypes from other states blooming far too late up here to be of use to UP pollinators.