verbena

American  

[ver-bee-nuh] / vərˈbi nə /

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Verbena, especially any of several hybrid species cultivated for their showy flower clusters.

2. any of various other plants, as the lemon verbena or sand verbena.

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verbena British  

/ vɜːˈbiːnə /

noun

1. any plant of the verbenaceous genus Verbena, chiefly of tropical and temperate America, having red, white, or purple fragrant flowers: much cultivated as garden plants See also vervain

2. any of various similar or related plants, esp the lemon verbena

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Etymology

Origin of verbena

1560–70; < Medieval Latin verbēna, Latin: leafy twig; see vervain

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

verbena

In wet winters, the valleys beyond town awaken in color as sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primrose and pincushion gather in brief, luminous blooms across the desert floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Yonder Cider in Wenatchee, Wash., takes inspiration from cocktails to create ciders such as the Greyhound-like Sunnyslope, with pink grapefruit and lemon verbena.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

Yes, your dessert may look like a rock-hard citrus in a coupe, but nudge it open and you might find threads of verbena that push you to reconsider what a lemon ought to taste like.

From New York Times ● Sep. 9, 2023

Bax Botanics offers variations like Sea Buckhorn and Verbena, with verbena, mint, fennel and citrus.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 28, 2023

Living in Faerie, it’s impossible not to notice that everyone else smells like verbena or crushed pine needles, dried blood or milkweed.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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