How are the leaf margins, Neil? Any sign of spines or are they soft and smooth?

My first thought was compacta too, but looking closer I think I agree with your hunch that it's a hybrid. I don't recognize it but it looks an awful lot like the photo of 'Eloise Hendrix' on FCBS. 'Jazz' is another possibility.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neo. Eloise Hendrix

Lisa: It does have spiny leaf margins I must be getting old I completely missed them They are very tiny

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The growth habit of the lage clump it came off looks more like 'jazz'. The stolons were about 6-9 ins long not rising very far above older plants. But the coloration when I got it looked very much like 'Eloise Hendrix" but the individual plants were further apart
It is growing as a few very large clumps in the entrance garden to my local nursery . The nursery has been there more than 20 years to my knowledge I presume so has the plant They dont know what its name is and assumed it was compacta I will grow it in even stronger light and see how it turns out
thank you for your kind help
Neil

It might be someone's old unnamed experiment, then. There are lots of those littering our nursery too! The leaf close-up shows the texture is definitely different than compacta's.

I agree with Lisa, probably an old cross and could be something common like compacta x spectabilis, or olens maybe, with Dad giving the red tips and speckles etc.
I have seen some old spectabilis hybrids that look similar to this one.
Cheers
Graeme

Hi Guys

I had a look at some Neo. compacta x olens today, they look very similar.

Pinkbroms

Thank you all for your interest and suggestions.The plant will be labelled as compacta hybrid and I will see how it grows on
Thanks again Neil

I'm with PinkBroms. I've seen alot of Olens hybrids which hide alot of markings when the plant isn't in near full sun. My guess would be compacta x olens.