Desert verbena is a sprawling annual with sticky stems  silver grey foliage and 3 inch clusters of pink to pink-purple flowers. Give this plant well drained bare ground and plenty of room to sprawl and it will reward with dense clusters of aromatic flowers. In its native desert habitat  verbena usually blooms from March through April but with judicious irrigation the bloom can be extended through summer. You can mass plant it for a stunning spring ground cover or use it in the foreground of a perennial garden. It is also very effective mixed with California poppies  blue flax  blue eyed grass  owl clover and arroyo lupine. Abronia villosa flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees and give off a vanilla-like fragrance  especially at night.