You have to look closely. Mazus radicans is not flashy. It is not rare. It is just there. Holding the ground together where the soil never dries. Swamp mazus grows in wetlands. Along stream banks. In damp grasslands. It loves damp spots. With little purple flowers doing quiet work in the wet places. The leaves are bright green. Oval. With toothed margins. They form a dense mat. The flowers are small. Purple. With two lips. They appear in spring and summer. They are subtle. Mazus radicans spreads by runners. The stems creep along the ground. Rooting at nodes. A single plant can cover a large area. It is not aggressive. It fills space. The species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found only here. It belongs in wetlands. The name radicans means rooting. Referring to the creeping stems. The plant is always putting down new roots. Swamp mazus grows in wet places. Stream banks. Wetlands. Seepages. Damp grasslands. It does not like drying out. It needs consistent moisture. In gardens, Mazus radicans is valued as a ground cover for wet areas. It grows in rain gardens. It grows along pond edges. It grows where other plants drown. The flowers attract native bees. The leaves provide cover for small insects. The plant is part of the wetland ecosystem. Swamp mazus is not threatened. Wetlands are threatened. Drainage reduces its habitat. Climate change may alter water levels. Competition from invasive weeds is another pressure. Mazus radicans is a reminder. Wet places have their own plants. Adapted. Resilient. Native. Mazus radicans has no recognised Māori name. The plant grows in wetlands. Which were important resource areas for Māori. Wetlands provided food, materials, and water. The plants that grew there were part of the economy of the marsh. They were gathered by those who knew the swampy places. A resource from the waterlogged ground.