Homestead Purple is the workhorse verbena of Southern gardens, a spreading perennial that covers itself in rich purple flower clusters from spring until frost. One plant knits into a low mat two to three feet across in a single season.

It asks for two things: full sun and drainage. Set it at the front of a hot, dry bed, on a slope, or trailing from a big container. Shear it back lightly in midsummer if it thins, and it flushes with fresh bloom.