Hey Andy,
I also live in central TX. Could it be prickly ash that you're talking about? We have that stuff around my place. I think it smells (strongly) like spearmint, but a visiting relative once asked me if I was burning citronella candles when it was this stuff. Just a light brush against the stuff will have the air smelling of it. Prickly ash is a small tree/large shrub, kind of mottled white bark, rose like thorns and wavy-edged serrated leaves.
Off topic, but something that's potentially very useful with prickly ash is it will deaden your mouth very quickly if you chew the leaves (it's not poisonous). It would work great for a toothache. Something that I think is hilarious is anytime a visitor is over (for the first time) with a kid. I will pick a leaf and give it to the kid. Since it smells strongly of spearmint and tastes rather like it too, I'll tell the kid that the American Indians used to chew it like gum. They'll happily pop it in their mouth and start chewing. After a minute or two when their mouth goes completely numb they'll usually get a little mad that they've been tricked (me laughing doesn't help either). But the best part is when I'll pick another leaf and tell them to go tell their dad the story. They get an evil, conspiratorial look in their eyes and can't run fast enough to find their dad.