''Mazus reptans'', common name creeping mazus, is a

heterotypic synonym In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently ...

of '' Mazus miquelii'', a low-growing

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plant native to the

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

, and widely introduced in the United States.

Description

''Mazus reptans'' is a

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

with alternate, simple

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

, on creeping and rooting stems. It grows less than , with a spread of . Fine Gardening magazine: Plant Guide for ''Mazus reptans''
. accessed 7.4.2012. The purple-blue to white flowers are borne in spring and summer. The flower crown is 2-lipped and violet-blue to pink or white, inside with white and yellow spots. The period of bloom lasts from Spring through Summer. The capsule fruits contain small seeds.

Cultivation

''Mazus reptans'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, for use as a

groundcover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows low over an area of ground, which protects the topsoil from erosion and drought. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as the ...

in gardens and container gardening. Creeping mazus can quickly form a dense ground-hugging carpet of bright green foliage, with showy seasonal flowers. It's fingernail sized lance-shaped toothed leaves typically remain green throughout the growing season, and it is evergreen in

hardiness zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

5–8. It spreads quickly due to the stems rooting. The plant is best grown in moist but well-drained soil, receiving irrigation from "average" up to per year. It prefers protected full sun to half-shade locations. Creeping mazus is used in smaller open areas, between stepping stones in paths and

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

s, a trailing plant in pots, and in

flower bed Raised-bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is raised above ground level and usually enclosed in some way. Raised bed structures can be made of wood, rock, concrete or other materials, and can be of any size or shape. The soil i ...

s. It can also be used as a beneficial ground cover for

grape vine ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 81 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus consists of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, bot ...

s (''Vitis'' spp.), or the spring foliage of

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

s. File:Mazus reptans.jpg File:Mazus flowers closeup 8501.JPG

References

* Gordon Cheers (Ed.): "Botanica"; Random House Australia; 2003. German issue: Tandem publishing company Ltd in 2003, . {{Taxonbar, from=Q1827472 reptans Flora of the Indian subcontinent Garden plants of Asia Groundcovers Plants described in 1914