Mystery plant ID needed please

[ChrisB]

I went to a friends garden today and could not figure out what this was. Hope someone can help me.

[Maggi Young]

A small Lantana of some sort? No idea what species it may be. 

Must be hardy if in a local garden, eh? so perhaps a Verbena of some kind? (You can tell I know nothing of these plants, can't you?!)
 

[ChrisB]

Yes, it's certainly hardy. In the garden of long time member Irene Thompson.  It's a really vigorous ground hugging plant. Doesn't flower prolifically. Was going to bring home a cutting but forgot to pick it up, but Irene will find it and pot it for me I'm sure.  I'll look at verbena and lantana, but thought the latter were all tender?

[Anthony Darby]

Not Lantana. They have rough leaves that look rather like nettle leaves. All Lantanas are tender.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lippia nodifera, now Phyla nodifera
cheers
fermi


edit by maggi:  I think the  species name fermi mentions is  correctly nodiflora  - a plant with lots of synonyms - from Lantana to Verbena!

[Palustris]

Have a look at Phyla canescens.

[ChrisB]

Thanks so much, I've never heard of or grown it. But I will now!