Flower profile
Brazilian vervain
Verbena brasiliensis
Brazilian vervain (Verbena brasiliensis) is a low shrub in the Verbenaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–September across the U.S.
Brazilian vervain is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana, Mississippi
Quick look
Verbena brasiliensis, the Brazilian verbena or Brazilian vervain, is a flowering plant species from the vervain family (Verbenaceae). It is native to parts of South America, namely Brazil, but has spread its range in recent times and has occasionally become an invasive weed.
- It belongs to the Verbenaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Louisiana and Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 941 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #32 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 375 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #71 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | Introduced | April–July | 941 |
| Mississippi | Introduced | April–September | 375 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 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 brazilian vervain in 17 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Adams, Amite, Attala, Calhoun, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Franklin, Greene, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tate, Tishomingo, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Yazoo.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 287 counties across 13 states; the most are in Louisiana (64), Mississippi (58), Florida (37).
Other Verbena on Bloomipedia (7): Blue vervain, White vervain, Hoary vervain, Texas vervain, Bigbract verbena, Slender vervain, MacDougal verbena.
More from the Verbenaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Dakota mock vervain, Lantana, Rose vervain, Common lantana, Rattail, Southwestern mock vervain, Fiddlewood.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VEBR2.
- iNaturalist, Verbena brasiliensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Verbena brasiliensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Verbena brasiliensis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.