Thirty years ago, I started trialing verbenas as part of the Mississippi Medallion award program for outstanding plants. I’ve been an avid verbena promoter and gardener ever since. I can tell you the Superbena Whiteout verbena is the best white variety I have ever grown.

Superbena Whiteout verbena has been around for about seven years, which to me means it is still new. If you have never seen it or grown it then it is brand new to you as well. Even though I have introduced it to you in various combinations, I don’t think I have ever dedicated a column to Superbena Whiteout verbena.

I did daily radio as a horticulturist with Mississippi State and was taught to tell the audience what it is I am going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what I told them. So, if you have read something on Superbena Whiteout from me before, then consider this like the radio: I am now telling you what I told you.

Superbena Whiteout verbena has won a lot of prestigious awards over the years; some of my favorites are Perfect Score All Season at Oklahoma State, Director’s Select at Penn State, Leader of the Pack Early, Mid and Late Season at North Carolina State, and Top Performer at Michigan State, University of Georgia, and University of Florida.

Superbena Whiteout verbena is sold as an annual in the Proven Winners lineup, but it is really a perennial in zones 7-11 with a couple of prerequisites that I’ll get to later. It will reach 6 to 12 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 30 inches. The individual flower clusters themselves will compete with the largest you have ever seen.

With such large flowers, you can guess the white holds a commanding presence in landscape beds and mixed containers. I say mixed but I often treat them as monoculture in tall containers when the flower laden stems hang downward. If the moon is shining you will have no problem seeing them at night thanks to their light-reflective capacities.

Though I have a deep appreciation for their monoculture capabilities, this may be the ultimate flower for designer style recipes like Blind Love where it is combined with Supertunia Lovie Dovie and Supertunia Royal Magenta petunias.

You don’t have to do named recipes at all because even simple partnerships like a pairing with Superbells Pomegranate Punch calibrachoas will have you shooting pictures every day. The white color will be the perfect contrast with whatever your other colors may be.

Besides stunning beauty and award-winning performance, the butterfly activity is nothing short of wonderful, particularly with the swallowtails. There is always pollinator activity going on to challenge your photography skills.

The horticultural techniques are simple: fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of sun. Wet boggy soil is not your friend and is even more a detriment in the winter. This is why growing them in boxes, planters and baskets is so easy. You’ve got the best soil and drainage that you could want. Mine are still perennial in zone 8 even in containers.

The next maintenance issue is the hardest because it usually occurs in the hottest part of the summer, and we are softies. We need to cut back to keep fresh growth and blooms developing. Leaving tired, woody stems is a recipe for disaster. Blooms will cease and insects and mites will search you out. Cutting back however makes a happy plant.

Superbenas in landscape beds should have controlled release fertilizer granules incorporated during bed preparation and then side dressed again in late July or early August. Verbenas in containers that get watered every day will need a dilute water-soluble fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks. I use a 2-gallon plastic watering can with a spout. By the way you will notice that the cutting back task is easier in containers than bending over and crawling around on the ground.

If I could only have one verbena, Superbena Whiteout would be my choice, but I’m a verbena lover and I have about a half dozen. I’m seeing buds on mine, so this is your notice to get ready.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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