Mazus pumilus Flower

Mazus pumilus commonly known simply as mazus is a small creeping annual it is native to parts of Asia including China Japan Korea and the Himalayas but it has also spread to other temperate regions where it often grows in moist disturbed soils grasslands roadsides paddy fields and stream banks the plant is low growing usually forming dense mats that spread along the ground with slender stems that root at the nodes which makes it an effective ground cover in favorable conditions the leaves are opposite small ovate to lanceolate with toothed margins and form a leafy carpet close to the soil surface the flowers of Mazus pumilus are the most attractive feature and appear during spring and summer.

They are small but eye-catching typically bluish purple with a yellow throat and sometimes marked with white or darker spots the flowers have a bilabiate corolla with an upper lip that is usually two lobed and a lower lip that is three lobed and more prominent which creates a landing platform for visiting insects this floral structure is well adapted for pollination by bees.

And other small pollinators the plant prefers moist well-drained soil and can tolerate both sun and partial shade it often thrives in damp meadows and wet grassy places but can also adapt to garden conditions where it is valued for its ability to quickly cover bare ground and suppress weeds due to its trailing growth habit Mazus pumilus spreads efficiently though it is not considered aggressively invasive in most regions in some cultures and traditional practices it has been used.