How to Grow Ajuga Plants in your Garden

Ajuga Growing and Care Guide

• Common Names: Bugleweed, Ground pine, Bugle: Carpet, Common, Geneva, Blue, Mountain. Carpenter's Herb.
• Life Cycle: Hardy perennial. Hardy Annual.
• Height: 2 to 20 inches (5—50 cm).
• Native: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia.
• Growing Region: Zones 3 to 9.
• Flowers: Early spring through to mid-summer.
• Flower Details: Blue, White, Pink/rose. Upright spikes. Whorls of flower, Ajuga reptans has dark veins on the lower lips of its flowers.
• Foliage: Herbaceous. Opposite. Obovate. Rosette. Common Bugle has dark green leaves with purple highlights. Commonly grown cultivars have purple, pink, green, and cream foliage.
• Sow Outside: Cover seed. Spring or autumn. Sow thinly.
• Sow Inside: Germination time: three to four weeks. Temperature: 50 to 60°F (10—15°C). Water from below. Cover the container with a plastic bag until seeds germinate. Transplant to individual pots when seedlings are strong. Transplant outdoors once further established - in the summer. Space at 12 to 15 inches (30—40 cm).
• Requirements and care: Prefers shade, but will tolerate full sunlight. Good drainage. Most soils when grown in the shade. Requires a richer, humus soil when grown in full/partial sunny areas of the garden. Ideally soil should have a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Water during prolonged dry spells if growing in a sunny area. Remove un-variegated leaves. Remove offsets/runners from young plants to prevent spread; it is best to grow Ajuga in a contained area. Growing Ajuga in a sunny area also slows down its growth/spread rate. Deadhead to prevent seed set. Divide every three years to prevent rotting crowns. Propagate: by dividing clumps early in the spring or in autumn; self-seeds freely.
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Closely Related Species: Beefsteak plant; Helmet Flower; Jerusalem Sage; Lemon Balm; and Thyme;
• Miscellaneous: Makes a great ground-cover plant. Invasive in some countries, especially in North America. Related to mint, and can be as difficult to control. The extensive root system makes it a good plant to grow if trying to control problems caused by erosion. Good plant to grow to prevent weeds as it is fairly easy to control. Can take foot traffic. Traditionally used to stem bleeding. Attracts Fritillary butterflies to the garden.
• Commonly grown species and cultivars include Ajuga genevensis, Ajuga reptans, A. reptans "Burgundy-Glow", and A. reptans "Atropurpurea"