Verbena bonariensis ‘Buenos Aires’

Verbena bonariensis is one of those perennials that earns its place in almost any border. Tall, slender, branching stems rise to 2 metres, topped with small lilac-purple flower clusters from summer right into autumn.

Despite the height, it’s a see-through plant — the foliage is sparse, so you can look straight past it to the planting behind. This makes it brilliant for creating lift and airiness in a border without crowding other plants.

Full sun in any reasonable, well-drained soil. A magnet for bees and butterflies. It self-seeds gently in mild spots, so you get new plants coming through each year.