Ajuga- (Bugleweeds)
Ajuga (Bugleweeds): Great low-growing ground cover with spring foliage and long blooming flowers.
| Ajuga | Perennial |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Early Spring |
| Light | Light Shade is Best |
| Water | Not Fussy |
| Diseases | Crown rot, leaf spot |
| Pests | Relatively Pest Free, Deer Resistant |
| Propagation | Divisions at any time |
| Color | Blue, White, Pink, Violet |
| Zones | 3-9 |
| Features | Deer Resistant |
Ajuga Golden Glow
I'm always anxious for spring to come and have my carpet of Ajuga bloom and fill the landscape with color.
These are very easy care plants, make for excellent ground cover and fill-in very fast, giving you a weed-proof barrier the first season you plant them
After the bloom die off, I simply set my mower deck to high and cut off the spent blooms. I'm then rewarded with the deep green and burgundy foliage for the balance of the growing season.
Ajuga is very easy to propagate. Simply select a healthy, large clump and pop it out of the ground with a garden spade.
You can then simply rip apart the plant into several divisions by gently tugging on the root and crown structure. Set the plants in the shade, moisten them and you can almost immediately plant them in the border.
The division will begin to grown very quickly and if divided in early spring, your border will be completely filled in by fall.
Also, since they spread by sending out runners and develop plantlet's at each runner, simply detach these plantlet's (if they are rooted) and you will have a health crop of Bugleweed by the end of the growing season.
Ajuga - Dixie Cup
Coral Bells:
Rounded mounds of coral bells blend well with the mat like foliage of ajuga. The airy flower spikes of coral bells stand out against a backdrop of dark ajuga foliage.
Fothergilla:
Give shade-loving shrubs such as fothergilla a pretty skirt by planting colorful ajuga varieties around their base.
Bleeding heart:
Plant ajuga with old-fashioned bleeding hearts so you have color and interest when the bleeding hearts go dormant in summer.
Plantain Lilly - Hosta:
Perfect for the shaded garden! An outstanding foliage plant, excellent as an edging or specimen in perennial gardens or mixed plantings or as a small-scale ground cover. Attractive with ferns and astilbe. White or lavender lily like flowers.
False Spirea- Astilbe:
Striking flower plumes in a wide array of colors, outstanding in the shaded or woodland garden. Attractive planted with hosta, ferns or Japanese iris and especially attractive near water. A beautiful, long-lasting cut flower, fresh or dried.
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Ajuga Reptans: forms a low-growing mat 4 inches tall with flower spikes up to 9 inches tall. Many forms with variegated foliage are available. Zones 3-9
Ajuga genevensis: is a relatively uncommon form that works well as a showy groundcover in partial shade. Most forms have blue blooms, but white and pink types are also available. Zones 3-8
'Black Scallop' ajuga Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' features shiny, dark purple leaves and springtime blue flowers. It's striking in containers. Zones 3-9 Note: This plant is patented by "Proven Winners" and propagation is not permitted.
Ajuga reptans 'Dixie Chip': is a variegated selection that offers foliage streaked with white, cream, and pink. It's decorated with blue flowers in spring. Zones 3-9
Ajuga reptans 'Golden Glow': lights up shady corners with creamy white tones on its spreading foliage. Zones 3-9
Ajuga reptans 'Silver Beauty': is a quick-growing selection with silvery-green leaves edged in white. It bears small spikes of blue flowers in spring and grows 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow': Ajuga is very effective planted at the base of ferns -- a perfect companion! Ajuga forms such dense evergreen mats it doesn't permit weeds to grow. A perfect ground cover for rock gardens, naturalistic woodland settings, borders or to grow under trees where lawns are difficult to establish.
This Bronze variety, grows fast, is rugged and hardy, has beautiful bronze foliage and produces blue spike-like flowers in May-June. Grows in sun and shade. Plant 6" apart. For a rain garden. Note: This plant is patented by "Proven Winners" and propagation is not permitted.
Spacing: Space 12" - 15" apart when planting
Fertilizer: Use Osmocote Fertilizer and spread over surface of the ground once every 6 months. Use about 1/2 to 1 small handful, depending on size of plants.
Water Requirements:Weekly during dry spells..
Sun: These plants love the shade. Combine them with Hosta for great shade gardens.
Soil Conditions: Provide consistently and evenly moist soil.
I love to use Ajuga as a ground cover and believe me, they work very well in that capacity. They spread by runners and plantlet's
Do attempt to plant them in light shade though as that is where they will thrive.
One of the great features of the Ajuga is their resistance to deer. If you have a heavy deer population to fight off, don't worry about your Bugleweed.
