How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Mazus Reptans

Looking to replace your lawn with something different? Mazus reptans, also known as creeping mazus, and currently classified as Mazus miquelii is a fantastic ground cover plant. In the late spring and early summer, it bursts into flower. Purplish-blue blossoms abound!

For the rest of the year, its fast-growing foliage creates a dense mat of bright green. Durable and tolerant of tough conditions, it accepts being walked on without difficulty. Best of all, it’s easy to keep trimmed to size. If you live in the northern parts of the United States, though, it could become invasive.

Let’s delve into this flowering ground cover plant. You’ll quickly see why people love creeping mazus as a lawn replacement!

What is Mazus reptans?

Mazus reptans is currently classified as Mazus miquelii. It’s commonly called creeping mazus, Miquel’s mazus or just mazus. It is often used as a lawn substitute due to its low-growing nature.

Native Area

This perennial ground cover is native to the Himalayas and regions of East Asia, including parts of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Found predominantly in moist, alpine environments, Mazus reptans thrives along stream banks, in marshy fields, and other damp areas where it enjoys partial to full shade.

This resilient plant has adapted to cool climates and well-draining soils, making it a popular choice for gardeners in temperate regions. Its ability to spread quickly and produce charming lavender-blue flowers with white and yellow markings has contributed to its popularity as an ornamental ground cover in gardens worldwide.

Characteristics

Dense and lush, creeping mazus spreads rapidly through stems that self-root. Its leaves are soft and lance-shaped with toothed edges, all in a bright shade of green. They can handle moderate foot traffic too.

The flowers last from the late spring to early summer and are similar to irises. Purplish-blue edges envelop a white center that’s dotted with flecks of yellow and red. They’re sometimes called cupflowers because the flowers with yellow and white markings are tubular or cup-like.

This fast-growing but tiny perennial will spread to fill your space quickly. Plant six plants per square yard in rock gardens and rock walls, and you’ll have a dense mat of green in very little time at all.

Even if not grown as a lawn substitute, it’s a lovely plant to cultivate. It will trail out of hanging pots or cascade over the side of planters. Popular amongst winemakers, it grows happily beneath grapevines to reduce weed growth. And it works just as well between stepping stones as it does everywhere else!

Planting

To plant Mazus miquelii, choose a location with moist, well-draining soil. Start by loosening the soil and removing any weeds. Plant in spring or early fall, spacing each plant about six to twelve inches apart, as it will quickly spread to form a dense mat. Place each plant in its container at the same depth it was growing, then gently firm the soil around the roots.

Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil consistently moist, particularly during dry spells. Once established, Mazus miquelii require minimal maintenance, but regular watering will help it stay lush and green, especially in sunnier locations. For best results, add a thin layer of mulch around the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

How to Grow

Caring for Mazus couldn’t be any easier. Of the ground covers, this is one of the most popular for new gardeners. And there’s a good reason for that: it basically grows itself.

But like any plant, providing the best conditions will give you the best floral show. Here’s everything you need to know to start your cupflower ground cover off right!

Light

Full sun to partial shade is perfect for your mazus. In zones 5-8, it’s an evergreen plant. It’ll grow in zone 9 as well, but prefers a little afternoon shade rather than full sun during the peak early summer months there.

Water

Mazus has a preference for consistently-moist soil. It can handle moderate to heavy moisture levels as long as water doesn’t pool at the root level. A good baseline to work with is one to one and a half inches of water per week, as necessary.

Mulch can help you to maintain the required moisture in your soil. Otherwise, run your lawn sprinkler regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. While it can tolerate short periods of drought, it may begin to wilt if water-stressed.

Soil

Mazus has an obvious preference for fertile, loamy soil. It can tolerate less-fertile soils as long as they drain reasonably well. Avoid hard-packed clay when possible, as it’s difficult for the plant to root into.

The soil pH isn’t really crucial for this plant. A neutral soil is easiest to maintain in most areas. If planting as a cover for bulbing plants like lilies or daffodils, mildly acidic is fine. If your soil leans alkaline, that’s fine too. The important part is that your soil retains moisture without being a sticky, muddy mess! As long as it has this, it will take a moderate amount of foot traffic.

Temperature

Surprisingly cold-hardy, this plant will slow down its growth as the cool months set in. It will survive temps as low as -20°F (-29°C), but it suffers damage when freezing sets in. On the bright side, once the plant fully thaws in the spring it should put out new growth.

Fertilizing

If your soil is fertile enough to begin with, annual fertilization isn’t required. Before planting, work some compost through the soil. That should be enough to keep your creeping mazus happy for a while!

An annual application of compost around the base of your plants keeps the fertility up. I like to use compost as a mulch in the fall. This will help the roots to stay warmer through the chill of winter.

If you’d prefer to use a fertilizer, it’s best to do it from spring to early summer. Opt for a balanced, organic fertilizer. Avoid fertilizers which might burn the soft green leaves whenever possible. I recommend granular, slow-release options. Broadcast the granular fertilizer using a spreader and water it in to rinse the dust off the plant.

Maintenance

As the foliage of creeping mazus tends to be around two inches tall, it’s easy to trim off spent flowers or random long stems so it won’t be damaged by foot traffic. Set your lawnmower to two and a half to three inches mowing height, and mow down the spent flower stalks.

It’s important to know that mazus acts like a “spilling” plant. It will cascade downwards into lower-level planters and take root there. If your landscape is tiered, it can encroach on lower areas quite fast. Lawn shears can help you keep it edged up nicely.

Run an edger along sidewalks or pathways to remove any spillover stems. This will keep your clean edges looking pristine! In hanging pots or planters, a pair of pruning shears is all you’ll need to keep mazus trimmed up. Most of your pruning in these containers is purely cosmetic.

Propagation

Self-rooting stems of Mazus will spread naturally and tolerate foot traffic on their own. But if you’d like to propagate, cuttings or division are your best choices. It can also be sown from seed in the spring or fall.

To perfectly clone your existing plants, I recommend division or cuttings. This ensures you have the same cultivar growing throughout your ground cover.

Division should be done in the early spring as the plant’s just starting to develop new shoots. Find the center of a large plant and use a sharp shovel to neatly cut it in half. You can replant one segment in a new location and fill in around the original spot.

Cuttings can be taken at any time of the year but should be planted outdoors in the spring. Select healthy stems six to eight inches in length and cut them with clean pruning shears. Place the cut end into a loamy potting mix and keep it moist until well-rooted.

Common Problems

Generally speaking, mazus is mostly problem-free. It’s hardy and easy to grow. But when those few rare problems arise, it’s important to know how to handle them. Let’s discuss that!

Growing Problems

Mazus is subject to a condition that’s called “winterkill”. This is when hard freeze conditions cause the plant to die back. It can look ragged and abused when the snow begins to melt in the spring.

If your climate gets extreme cold in the winter, test plant some in the late summer or early fall. If the plant puts out new growth in the spring, feel free to use it as a lawn replacement. It’ll come back on its own!

While wet soils are okay for your creeping mazus, soils that don’t drain away standing water aren’t. The root system of your plant should never be left in standing water. If it is, the plant may die. Amend clay soils to ensure good drainage so the roots don’t get flooded.

If the plant becomes a nuisance, check to ensure you’re not in its invasive range in the northern part of the United States. If so, remove it and plant a native ground cover. Check with your local extension office before planting if you’re unsure whether or not this plant is classed as invasive in your region.

There aren’t any serious disease issues for this plant. However, if you’re using it as a cover plant for a bed of bulbs, be very sure that the soil drains off excess moisture. While the bulbs can put growth up through mazus in the spring, they won’t grow if they’re rotten.

Pests

The worst pests will be slugs and snails. The leaves are quite appetizing to these slimy crawlers. I recommend snail traps to draw attention away.

Happily, Mazus isn’t particularly appetizing to deer or rabbits. Most other wildlife isn’t interested in it, either. And its bounty of spring to summer flowers are a wonderful draw for butterflies and bees. It’s about as perfect of a plant as you can find for new gardeners!

Frequently Asked Questions