Dear Mary Jane,

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program with your question.

I believe the plant in the photo is Verbena urticiflora, common name white vervain. As it is native to North America, although not native to Vermont, it would not be invasive. An invasive species is a non-native plant, animal or other organism that can cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. A native plant can be considered aggressive, meaning that it has the potential to dominate under certain conditions within a preferred habitat. Although white vervain can spread by rhizomes and seed it is not considered aggressive. It can spread to form thickets under the right conditions. At least one reference suggests that white vervain is pollinator friendly despite the fact that the flowers of the plant are very small in size.

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hortanswers/plantdetail.cfm?PlantID=920&PlantTypeID=14

https://extension.umass.edu/weed-herbarium/weeds/verbena-urticifolia

https://weedguide.cfaes.osu.edu/singlerecord.asp?id=36