| Author | (Burman fils) Steenis | |
| Distribution | Scattered across the state, but with big gaps in the northern Mountains, the western Piedmont, and the central Coastal Plain. Clearly increasing -- reported from just 4 counties in RAB (1968). Likely overlooked and expected in many more counties.
Native of eastern Asia; in N.A. MA to WI south to FL and TX; also Pacific states. | |
| Abundance | Locally common in the eastern Piedmont; uncommon to locally fairly common in the southern Mountains, and probably also in much of the remainder of the Piedmont; rare in the Sandhills proper and in the Coastal Plain. Strongly increasing in recent decades. | |
| Habitat | Moist soils of lawns, campus weed, flower beds, nursery weed, golf course rough near creek, campground, trailsides, walking paths, parking lot, roadside ditches, roadside rest area. It can be a minor problem weed in some bottomlands, though it mainly is found in openings and disturbed damp ground, especially along sewerline clearings in floodplains. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting most of the year (December-October). | |
| Identification | Japanese Mazus has smaller flowers than Creeping Mazus (M. miquelii) -- less than 10 mm long vs. 15 mm or more long -- and the plants do not produce runners or stolons. Nonetheless, it can grow in small patches but not in large expanses. The flowers are purple on the upper lip but the much larger lower lip is generally white. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Long known as M. japonicus.
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| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACU link |
| USACE-emp | FACU link |
