Ajuga
Guide to Growing Bugleweed
The common names for the Hardy perennial Ajuga is Bugleweed.
It typically flowers from late spring to mid-summer.
Latin names include Ajuga reptans and Ajuga turkestanica and Ajuga reptans atropurpurea.
Description of Bugleweed
Ajuga are matt forming evergreen plants that are ideal as a ground covering plant.
Bugleweed has a mass of blue and purple flowering stems that sit above a foliage of leaves, that can be as variable in colour as deep green, purple, pink and cream.
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 3: 101.
Ajuga photograph by Wallygrom.
How to grow Bugleweed / Ajuga
It is best to sow on the soil surface, then cover Ajuga seeds with a light dusting of soil on top. They should be spaced 15 to 30 cm apart in the spring or autumn. Ajuga species can grow in either full sunlight or in the shade. The soil should be dry and have a pH in the range of 5.5 to 7.1. Ajuga requires between three to four weeks to germinate. If initiating growth indoors, they should be planted at a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees centigrade.
Caring for Bugleweed in the garden
Bugleweed is very easy to look after. For best results they should be fertilised in the spring and watered frequently. Deadheads should be removed after flowering, and leaves removed in the Autumn.
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