Verbena

(taken from wikimedia commons under creative commons)

They creep all over your yard every fall, and sometimes they are too small to the ground to use with your roses. They are called verbenas. My grandmother used to call them "Volunteers" because they make their way all over your lawn and in your meadows. They multiply quicker than a cat or a rabbit . I love them and they are welcome in my yard as long as they want to grow (we just won't cut the grass)
This flower has vibrant purple bloom and they can grow in almost any weather throughout the State. They leave a brilliant purple carpet on Alabama's roadsides in early spring to fall. This flower has been originated from South America and found it's way in Alabama's subtropic Southeastern climate.
Legend has it that these particular flowers are supposed to protect you against a vampire if you were to confront one. They were sacrificed to the God Venus in ancient Greece. In the Japanese culture, they are a sign of cooperativeness. William Faukner said these particular flowers were the smell of courage.
These amazing plants can be found throughout the woods, yards and roadsides of Wild Alabama mostly in the Central Area.