Plant · P-1134

Frogfruit

Phyla nodiflora

A mat-forming, evergreen-in-mild-winters perennial groundcover native from the southern United States through the tropics, rooting at each stem node to spread as a dense horizontal carpet only 8 to 15 cm tall. Small white to pink or lavender flower heads appear in tight rounded clusters from spring through fall and are a significant nectar source for bees and small butterflies, serving as the larval host plant for several species including the common buckeye. Grows in sand, loam, clay, caliche or limestone soils, including poorly drained and saline ground, and tolerates both drought and periodic flooding. Spreads aggressively by rooting stolons and can require regular trimming to hold a boundary; goes dormant in hard freezes.