It is the Carpet Bugleweed, it can be variegated in shades of purple - deep blueish. Its a great ground cover and nice because its an early spring bloomer. (at least in my area MA)

nchisik- Here are some that have worked for me... 1. Almost all variegated forms of Euonymous fortunei 2. Pieris japonica "Variegata" 3. Ilex meserve "Honey Maid"- very nice new variegated holly 4. Azalea "Silver Sword," "Ashley Marie Girard" 5. Rhododendron ponticum variegatum 6. Buxus sempervirens aurea variegata and "Wansford Page" Boxwood Also, I don't know exactly where you are, in close proximity to one of the lakes???, but down here if you are close to lake Erie, some of the Ilex aquifolium's will do well provided some protection... the typical variegated English Holly - argentea variegata is still tender, but I've had good luck with Ilex aquifolium "Pinto." It isn't so much the cold that would damage any of these. The winter wind and sun would cause the damage... If you can keep them out of winter sun especially and provide a protected spot in your garden, they should do well.

"Where and how much did you order your basjoo, if you don't mind me asking?" Sorry, I'm just catching up! I ordered mine on Ebay. This is my second time ordering and I think I generally pay around $5-6 a plant. I received them already and they look great, so I have four in the ground at this point (three new and one I had as a houseplant). Blondboy, I'm so happy for you!!!! What a sight!!! I guess I was the only one who actually killed mine. :( But as a Zone 5er (and borderline 5 at that), I'm not all that surprised. I WILL try again this coming winter though, maybe even with Christmas lights for a little warmth! I did a few things wrong this winter like having plastic directly on the plant!

I don't check this forum often, and this post is fairly old. But, just on the chance, I can recommend a couple of plants that I grow with great success here in east Central Mississippi. Jeff was referring to osmanthus, Goshiki. It is a lovely, very holly like plant: evergreen, drought tolerant, shade tolerant, with green and yellow variegation. In most botanical gardens you will see it in shade.If you can give it morning sun, you will get the brightest color in its leaves, but it really needs protection from afternoon sun. It is a very easy plant, but difficult to find. My guess is that's because it is very very slow growing. Nevertheless, it's absolutely worth having and once it gets to the size you want, a light clipping in the spring is all it needs to look its best. Osmanthus, variegatus is another shrub that looks like English holly. It has very strong white variegation in the leaves and is truly one of my favorite variegated shrubs. It grows, slowly, in a slender upright form and is virtually carefree. It does need shade, which limits its usefulness. Nevertheless, I would miss mine if they were gone. I also grow Ilex cornuta, O'Spring. It is a lovely yellow with green variegation. It grows in a pyramidal form and is very easy to grow. It is also very very slow growing. My plants are about four feet high, were grown from rooted cuttings and have been in the ground about 8 years. They might have grown a bit faster if I hadn't moved them so many times in their early years. :) This, however, is just a testament to how tough and easy they are. They grow fastest and look best in full sun, but will tolerate less.