I find it hard to see detail in the photo above Are you able to go and get some close ups and also indicate the size of the flowers and leaves and the plant overall please.
The flowers are very pale blue-grey and tiny (less than 1/2 centimeter). Someone has suggested this might be thymus vulgaris but I'm not convinced. Here are two more photos:
It is a puzzle to me I hope someone else sees this question I will be interested to learn QUESTION - is this a single plant or part of an installation, for example like one sees at nice condos and offices in South Surrey White Rock (your profile) One has to consider that WR has some unique climate pockets - warmer and drier
It is all by itself in one section of the garden, but two other plants in different sections. I've never seen this before, anywhere in our area.
The photo on the Wikipedia Calamintha page looks similar, but other photos for that genus do not look like it. Calamintha - Wikipedia. I'm still finding the photo confusing. Can you take a photo that just shows the leaves and stem - are they opposite, and are the stems square? That's what I would expect from the flowers, but I can't make it out. And I'm seeing leaves that look different from each other. Are there two plants here? Which leaves go with these flowers? Also, how tall is it? Is it shrubby (are there woody stems at the ground)?
Blow up this photo from High Plains Gardening of Calamintha nepeta. You can see the same signature tiny 2-branched stigma (miniature curlicue) held up high in the flower. Same if you blow up this photo. Also here. Looks like a match to me.
So back to original post - your friend who suggested thyme is not that far off Does the plant you photographed have a scent ? I ask cuz Wikipedia (posted by Wendy above ) suggests this plant is used in Mid East cooking Have you observed this shrub in winter? I wonder if your specimen will be deciduous .
I just want to say, since my posting appears to be in comment to Ron's, that I did not see his when I posted mine. I started a posting with two other suggestions, but by the time I landed on Calamintha, it was a long time after I started the posting, so Ron's had been posted but I was unaware of it, and I was very uncertain that my comment was being at all useful. I would not have written the way I did had I known that Ron suggested it. We don't seem to have permission to view the High Plains Gardening photo.
It is all interesting for certain - I like how you are particular Wendy about the leaf shapes and placement on twig etc —- I recall drawing diagrams way back in plant biology but I don’t have quick recall ! Maybe you can post us a simple guide to shapes because like birding - identification depends on several visuals (beak shape / colors / flight pattern etc etc) I had same hiccup w the post w Google photo - fr Marysville WA - it will useful to see, too.
You guys are amazing! While not apparently scented, the plant is definitely minty when the leaves are rubbed. And I reviewed the info/photos on Calamintha nepata - everything lines up with what I see in the garden. The plant is deciduous and popped up in the garden in July, blooming late July to present. Thank you all for your detective skills.
I always query "leaf shapes" or "leaf arrangements" or whatever I'm trying to figure out. There are a lot of charts available here and there. I've asked @Douglas Justice if he can suggest something. But there is a Help thread on How to get good answers to your Plant ID questions that very briefly lists out several things to remember to look at and photograph when you want to ask for an ID.
