Phyla nodiflora - Capeweed

Phyla nodiflora, also known as Lippia nodiflora or Lippia repens, is one of the best alternatives to a grass lawn in dry soils, even in heavily trafficked areas. This small perennial quickly forms extensive, very low-growing mats with foliage that is more or less evergreen depending on the climate.  It is remarkably dense, and of a soft grey-green hue. In spring, countless small clusters of lilac-pink flowers appear, which bees adore. They often continue to bloom until September. It is a truly undemanding plant, but its hardiness can sometimes be challenged in colder regions. It thrives in both full sun and partial shade, in well-drained soil.

Phyla nodiflora is a small perennial widely spread in the eastern Mediterranean Basin and Asia Minor, as well as in many regions with a dry and hot subtropical climate. It is a close relative of verbenas, sharing its membership in belonging to the verbena family. The plant, usually deciduous but sometimes evergreen in mild climates, quickly forms extensive mats that can reach heights of 1 to 10 cm (0.5 to 4in) depending on moisture and shade conditions, covering an area of 1 square metre or even more. The stems root at each node where they touch the ground, colonising all available space. The very nectar-rich flowers appear in May-June and sometimes continue throughout the summer if the soil remains somewhat moist. The small pale pink to lilac flowers are in 1 to 3 cm (0.5 to 1in) diameter clusters, carried by very short stems just above the foliage. When the summer is very dry, the foliage partially dries out, but this is not fatal to the plant, which will green up again with the first rains. It is hardy to -10 to -12°C (14 to 10.4°F).

Plant Phyla nodiflora en masse in a small area where you would like a lawn but the soil is very dry.  This plant tolerates heavy foot traffic and can go without watering for 2 to 3 months. In this use, it can be paired with other creeping perennials with similar growth cycles, such as Achillea crithmifolia, Frankenia laevis, Zoysia tenuifolia, or Dichondra repens. It can also be planted on top of walls or in the gaps between their stones, in rock gardens of course, but also along the edge of a staircase, accompanied by Erigeron karvinskianus, thymes, or dwarf artemisias, for example. It also pairs very well with perennials and shrubs for dry soil on a slope (lavenders, cistus, rosemary, brooms, cerastostigma, valerian), and protects them from weeds.