Ajuga

Garden Clippings – August 28, 2021

Couldn’t resist.  I planted 15 Ajuga on the left-hand side of the front door.  About 24 inches apart.  A year later they’ve already grown a fair amount.  A few have grown to about one foot in diameter.  Next year many will be touching, and in two years, I expect to see a dense groundcover.

Ajuga is a tidy ground cover perennial that will grow anywhere.  It will grow in sun or shade, but for best leaf colour it wants at least half day of sun.  Mine are planted on the north side of the house where there is little sun and they are doing just fine.

The earlier original Ajuga grew aggressively and sometimes became a weed issue in turfgrass.  Newer varieties are tidier, well behaved with improved foliage.

For Ajuga, sometimes called Bugleweed, it’s all about foliage.  Its toonie sized leaves are glossy, wrinkled, and come in a variety of colours.  In early summer Ajugas produce a flower spike, about 4 or 5 inches tall, mostly in blue.  Some gardeners love the flower spike, but I would be perfectly content if they didn’t produce flowers.

Ajuga is a true groundcover growing an inch or two high.  It spreads by producing stolons, which are like roots that grow outward and soon makes more roots.  Ajuga plants are easy to split or divide, making sharing easy.

‘Black Scallop’ is my favorite Ajuga.  Leaves are dark burgundy, and very glossy.  Plant ‘Black Scallop’ among light coloured rocks and it is a true gem.  ‘Black Scallop’ is a relatively recent introduction so availability may be limited.

Ajuga ‘Petite Parakeet’ is a hardy variety with golden foliage.  ‘Fancy Finch’ has multi coloured foliage in gold, green and burgundy.  For a stunning display, plant these light coloured Ajuga at the front edge of a perennial border with darker colours in the background.

‘Burgundy Glow’ Ajuga is a perennial favorite with interesting foliage colour that ranges from pink to white, to burgundy.  It performs well even when planted in deep shade and poor soil.

For rock gardens, Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ is a winner.  Leaves are smaller, chocolate coloured, and bear a striking resemblance to the real thing.  ‘Cardinal Canary,’ another in the feathered friend series, has a similar growth habit but with bright golden foliage.

Ajuga is a true groundcover that forms a mat so dense that weeds rarely sprout through.  It loves rich damp soil but will not tolerate swampy soil.  It only grows an inch or two high, with a spring flower spike that grows 5 or 6 inches high.  Plant it at the edge of a container or raised bed and growth will tumble downward.  Ajuga is an obedient grower that will not aggressively take over the perennial garden.