Mazus
Mazus reptans

Foot traffic won't harm it

Violet Flowers in Late Spring
So dense and strong that foot traffic doesn't bother it at all

Mazus reptans is a splendid ground cover for large areas, its dense, prostrate growth withstands heavy foot traffic. Spreads rapidly in sun or shade and moist soil. Violet flowers appear in late spring; small leaves retain color into winter. Zones 5-9. 3-inch pot.

3-inch Pot Item # 43459
Mazus

In the first place, you are having trouble finding out about this wonderful little plant because you are spelling it wrong. Once you start to gain a little knowledge about what things mean in the botanical names, it will bolster your gardening skills and selections tremendously. (Yeah ... it takes a while.)

The botanical name of this plant (it does not really have a common name) is: Mazus reptans. The word "reptans" means to creep or crawl. (Think about reptiles.) This little ground cover plant performs exactly as its botanical name would infer. Now that you know that, anytime in the future you see the botanical name of a plant including "reptans" in the second half, you will automatically have a good idea of its growth habit.

If I were describing it to you in a conversation, I would probably use the word "scamper" because this ground hugging delight tends to really take off when it is happy. It is probably going to need a little extra water from time to time if you want it to do well when it gets really dry. This plant originates from the Himalayas and is variously listed as either a zone 4 or zone 5 plant.

Another thing about botanical names is that often families of plants will have some defining characteristics that give you some idea about them even if you have no idea what plant you are looking at. Pay attention to the shape of the flowers in the second picture below and you will begin to see a pattern with a lot of the plants in the family Scrophulariaceae.

IronBelly

I checked out his newsletter (see link below) and if this was the same picture you were looking at, I can certainly see why you became enamored with this plant.

I know that growing information so often states that you can walk on this plant but I think this is a bit misleading. It will take light foot traffic -- with the emphasis on "light". It will do well between flagstones as pictured because people, at least in nonpublic areas, tend to avoid stepping on pretty plants growing between the cracks. This human tendency is something to be aware of. Unless the walkway places these plantings at comfortable distances to avoid stepping on, it can make a garden visit quite tenuous for guests. They become so worried about avoiding missteps that they cannot enjoy looking at the rest of your garden -- and it doesn't matter even if you tell them it is OK.

Regardless, this is a wonderful little groundcover even when not planted in a walkway. You should have little trouble finding it in any of the better nurseries.

IronBelly