Prairie verbena grows wild in my area (North Texas). I've never planted it, as it grows just fine on the prairie without any help from me. I have a lot of black clay in the soil, and lots of sun and wind. Verbena does just fine with all of that. It's one of the lower growing plants on the prairie, maybe 6-8 inches tall with a clumping habit. Verbena is usually one of the first wildflowers to show up in the spring, and one of the last to leave. I can't speak for other areas where it grows, but around here, it doesn't have a terribly pleasant smell, rather like wet horse! But it's nature's way of telling us that spring is coming, so wild verbena is a welcome sight around here.

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