This native plant is called Frogfruit, (Phyla nodiflora)- (aka Fog Fruit, Matchweed, Turkey Tangle, or Capeweed). Frog fruit is a low-growing, native low maintenance groundcover in the Verbena family with lovely attractive small purple and white flowers. This perennial is an evergreen and works well in gardens as edges, borders or anywhere a ground cover works growing 3”-5” in height. It spreads horizontally by runners that will root into the soil where they lay on the ground. It can tolerate foot traffic and mowing, and it is very adaptable to different soils once established. It grows best in full to part sun. It tends to slowly spread where it likes providing both nectar and host plant options for butterflies. It adds nice native diversity to any lawn or landscape and doesn’t seem to compete or push out other plants, including sod. Although it could be a potential sod substitute as a nice Florida native lawn.
Frog fruit is a larval host plant for the Phaon Crescent, White Peacock and Common Buckeye butterflies, and the small purple and white flowers are a popular nectar source for low-flying butterflies, bees and other insects.
Another easily obtained native plant that establishes with transplant – goes dormant – and then comes back, even if it seems like it has died, roots are still there and it will typically come back where planted and take off.