Paederota bonarota

This pretty little plant has plump oval leaves that are soft to the touch. They have a white edge to the uplifted sides of the leaf, showing the pubescence beneath. They are in pairs, layered faces upwards, highly attractive especially when young and fresh. There are short racemes of lilac-blue flowers that come during summer. These are around 1cm (0.5in) long and emerge at the centre of each stem of leaves. It is found growing in the Southern and South-eastern Alps, where it likes to inhabit limestone cracks at altitude. The plant makes a low mat around 20cm (8in) height with 30cm (12in) spread.