greene,
I checked this morning, almost missed the very fine hairs, but they are there. When you said your's had long lasting purple blooms I went back and looked at my pics from last year, did your plant look like this? Don't remember it at all, sorry to say.

So,......what is it Seedfork? You know you know.

Of course I know, it's... pretty!

Uh-huh..............

Well!,.....it will keep some busy searching!

Of course I know...Blue Danube Ageratum.

Ageratum is one of my favorites but it's not the same thing as the NOID in my front garden that I am comparing to your plant. Mine had long-lasting spikes of purplish flowers, not exactly the same color as the Veronica 'Goodness Grows' which was growing just behind it. I remember that the flower spikes got top-heavy and fell over.

(Sorry that the color in my photos is sort of washed-out looking.)
Here is your plant:

Here are pics of mine; first from April 2013, the rest are from today:

Here is a shot of the fine hairs on the round stems; the hairs are also on the leaves.


We may have to wait until both plants start to bloom to get the ID.

Note: The perennial Ageratum that I introduced into my yard last year is NOT a favorite of mine - all Ageratums are not created equally - I prefer the mild-mannered annual type.

Seedfork said:Of course I know...Blue Danube Ageratum.

Boo Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh! (Gosh, and I hate common Colloquialisms too. This one just came to mind however and maybe a stupid commercial was playing on T.V. a few minutes ago and it stuck in my mind subliminally Yuck!.....Oh well. :smily:)

I told ya' so!!! Yee Haw and a big ole' SNORT! (thats another Colloquialism isn't it;........I hate it when I do that! LOL!)

Keep up the good growin!

Soooooooo then. I.D. solved?

greene,
Yes the hairs on your plant look identical to the ones on mine, very fine. Looking at the pictures in the plant data base, you can see the hairs on the leaves. The picture of the plant blooming was taken on 04-27-2013, seems everything is running about a month behind here, so maybe in a month or less we can see blooms on both plants.

DavidofDeLand,
Change that Boo Yahhhhhh, maybe to Ahhh booo! It it seems as if what I thought was a definite match seems to be an annual!
But I shall wait till it blooms along with Green's and see what happens!

I want some of what @DavidofDeland has been...(fill in the blank) - eating, smoking, drinking, or just being high on the good weather, etc. David's having way more fun than the rest of us.

Just came back from the local nursery to see if they are selling one of these 'whatever-it-is' plants, but not yet.
Maybe tomorrow I will dig mine up and carry it to a nursery hoping to get an ID.

All we know is that it's not a salvia, mint or anything else with square stems.
It's not an annual ageratum and (in my opinion) it's not any kind of ageratum.
Round stems, hairy stems. Mine has slightly hairy leaves also.

As for myself, I know it's not the same as Veronica 'Goodness Grows' - but since it has similar flower spikes, IDK, could there be other Veronica varieties with such large and lumpy-looking leaves?

And in all this I am only assuming that @Seedfork and I have the same plant - I could be wrong in that.

Oh, I also learned that if you try to take a photo in the dark you may trip over the landscape timber and fall onto the grape vine support wires. Note to self: Bring a flashlight next time or wait until morning.

That was completely and just plain out.......................................................................Justifiable Greene!

Good Luck in your search for the answer!

Once we finally discover the identity of either or both plants, let's throw a party.
@DavidofDeland can be in charge of entertainment and refreshments.

Normally by now some kind of plant expert chimes in with unpronounceable botanical details...where are they?

Greene,
This plant is so common that we should probably be asking our neighbors instead of the very knowledgeable plant experts here. I am afraid to ask my wife, she might know!

Okay then. I'll leave you to it.

Ok, I am offering a five acorn reward for the first correct ID of this plant, if ID'd before it blooms.

I could use 5 acorns and am holding true to Ageramentha monstyrious fabulosa.

Well, just in case it turns out not to be the Ageramentha monstyrious fabulosa.. .
and I know we are all hoping that fantastic name could be the winner here...
my sole guess will be Veronica speedwell 'Sunny Border Blue'.

Opps...I had to go back and edit my first post about awarding acorns, it should have read the "first" one to correctly name the plant. Danita, had already suggested 'Sunny Border Blue'. but still if it turns out to be 'Sunny Border Blue' I will still award Greene five acorns also!

Thanks, but I don't need to be awarded acorns as the others chimed in before me; just hope that your plant is the same as the one in my front garden so I can finally put a label on it.

Latest photo of plant needing Id, bud starting to form.