Home»Ornamentals»Ajuga
The Ajuga reptans [ a - JOO - guh ] [ REP - tanz ] is a herbaceous flowering flora native to Europe , northern Africa , southwestern Asia , but is trespassing in parts of North America .
It ’s a part of the Mint folk ( Lamiaceae ) .
There are several varieties on the market :
Its other common names include :
Caring for Ajuga Reptans Bugleweed
Size & Growth
The Ajuga Reptans have dark green leaves with a endearing , unique , purplish highlight making a beautiful twelvemonth - round plant .
As a ground cover , they are dense and fast - maturate .
The parting of the plant grow up to 2″ – 3″ inches .
In give , the leaves bear improbable flower stalks of 4″ – 6″ inch .
The sprawling herb ’s stems have a square shape with fuzz on the two side .
This Lycopus virginicus will spread by stolons ( reptans means of creeping ) to imprint a mat - like ground masking .
Flowering and Fragrance
The flower stalks contain many small-scale purple flowers frequently visited by flies like the Rhingia campestris .
The blue flowers have dark mineral vein on the lower lip .
The corolla forms a two - lipped flower around 0.5″ inch long .
The upper lip of the peak is categoric and short with a politic edge .
They lead off to blossom in later spring to early summertime .
The eyeshade salad days time or bloom catamenia occurs in May and June .
They have no smell in exceptional but wait beautiful in the garden or freshly cut .
Light & Temperature
It will grow in full sun to full shade .
The beneficial foliage coloring material ordinarily pass in partial shade .
The industrial plant produces more flower spikes in full sun , but the leafage will turn smaller in such a live clime .
It ’s tough deciding to acquire in part shade or a shady surface area compare to the full sun because of the giving difference it make on the plant ’s aesthetics .
The plant needs a high temperature of 70 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( 21 ° C ) during planting time of year to flourish the right way .
As a grown plant , it can tolerate much heat but will want a wad of air circulation to keep crown bunk .
Watering and Feeding
The works need to be water every 2 - 3 weeks , and the soil require to be well - drained .
Keep the soil moist for optimal growth .
The bugle herbaceous plant does n’t need much plant food to flourish .
When necessary , you may apply an all - purpose granular plant food .
Use a weewee - soluble fertilizer at a proportion of 1 tablespoonful to 1 gal of water .
Soil & Transplanting
The Ajuga Reptan can tolerate a wide change of soil condition , but the soil should be well - drained .
The plant prefer to develop in moist soil but is drouth tolerant .
The plant thrive inacidic soilwith a pH level of 3.7 to 6.5 .
Ajuga is usually evergreen to semi - evergreen .
It ’s is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones of 3 - 9 .
You will need to travail up the new offset of the plant life to graft them .
Attempt this when they are young since they become entangled with the parent plant .
impart them to novel soil , groom with mulch so they can arise comfortably .
Grooming and Maintenance
The Lycopus virginicus has to be pruned to keep it sizeable and maintained .
Around every third year , the crowded groupings should be thinned out so the plant does n’t become invading .
This will slim down the chance of crown buncombe .
Removing non - variegated foliage is important if it come along on the original Ajuga reptan plant .
It will ensure the plant stay colorful and does n’t return to a bland green .
How to Propagate Bugleweed
Bugleweed propagates via digging and dividing .
allow good line circulation to avoid jacket crown ancestor trouble .
separate lump is all important by downfall or early in the spring season .
The runners are easy dispatch from the parent plant life when they are untried and have n’t circulate as much .
As they age , it becomes hard to remove the offsets since they become embroiled with the mother flora .
You should remove the runners periodically , even to discard them , this will keep the plant life contained .
Blue Bugle Pest or Disease Problems
Aphid infestationcan strike the wellness of the plant .
They start to go bad if the flora gets pretend bycrown rotfrom too much entanglement and congest .
Ajugas Reptans disseminate rapidly like all other good deal .
Their rapid growth rate becomes a problem since this is often an invasive trait .
You may need some edging material to keep the plant within the favored boundary .
It ’s a deer - resistive plant .
Suggested Uses for Carpetweed
The carpetweed is adaptable , vigorous plants and useful as ground covers .
They quickly fill bare berth under trees , along garden walks , and whirl around from nooks in rock wall and stone steps .
The common bugleweed is used for eroding control in many areas for its extensive ascendant system which can prevent soil loss .
Ajuga pairs well with Coralbells , the semi - evergreen lob foliation background cover flora , and looks good in rock gardens .
