Pam wrote:
Valkyrie wrote:

As I was working out on my balcony today I thought of the perfect
plant to put in the pot with my witch hazel. I just can't remember
what it's called. I had it growing in Seattle between the broken
concrete pavers of my patio. It looks like a tiny delicate Boston
fern (sort of), spreads by runners, stays very small and flat, it's
a great ground cover, very hardy and tough
as nails. Anybody know what it's called so I can go find some. The
first
time I saw this was in the Japanese garden in Portland, I got the
name from the gardener there. Now I can not for the life of me
remember what it was. Getting old is hell :-(

Val

A couple of things come to mind, Val. There is a true groundcover
fern, Blechnum penne-marina, which is a great but hard to find plant.
Evergreen miniature fern-like foliage held very close to the ground,
spreads by underground runners to form colonies. The second
possibility is Cotula squalida (sometimes called Leptinella squalida,
N.Z. brass buttons) which is an excellent, heavy-duty and durable
groundcover with a very fern-like appearance. Both will get a
bronzey-copper shade in winter. Either of these sound familiar?

The Leptinella squalida is in the 2003 Heronswood Nursery catalog with a
picture.

Leptinella squalida z4 d2" $6.00
Category: perennials
( Cotula southeyi) From a genus that is solely Southern Hemispheran comes
this delightful species that produces a spreading low mat of grayish green
felted pinnate foliage and curious buttons of yellow in early spring. This
has been used as a lawn alternative by some, though we grow it in our garden
between pavers on the north side of the house. Asteraceae New Zealand



--
Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8b
Sunset Zone 5