Ajuga Reptans; A Fast Spreading Plant Can Grow in any Good Decent Garden

This fast spreading plant, sometimes called “Bugle”, has much to recommend it. It can take more foot traffic than most ground covers and is hardy to Zone 4. Once it is established, the rosettes of foliage form mats on the ground that keep weeds to a minimum. Ajuga is handsome the leaves are a rich dark green that turns to bronze in fall, and they last long past frost.

You know, in Zones 8 to 10 the plant is ever green. Some varieties such as “Bronze Beauty” are bronze all season. Others are variegated, such as “Burgundy Glow” which is marked with white, purple and pink. In late spring the plants send up attractive spikes of flowers about eight inches tall. Normally they’re an intense blue, but you can also find white, purple and red varieties.

For some reason Ajuga tends to appear, and then disappear, in lawns according to a secret program all its own. A related species A. Pyramidalis, is beautiful but doesn’t have the spreading habits. So question is how to grow Ajuga Reptans. It is recommended to grow plant in sun or shade in any good decent garden soil, but make sure it is well-drained. The plants normally spread by surface runners and can be easily divided in spring for propagation.