Thanks! Thrives in any type of soil but not too dry. So maybe its not a competing priority, its just two sides of the coin. Location: Pots, shady borders, ground cover. Blooming in late spring to early summer, the flowers rise above the contrasting, spreading rosettes formed by the leaves, putting on an eye-catching display. This is because it interferes with hormone production. Ideally, this should be done in the fall or early spring for best results. During the spring and summer, the evergreens will provide consistent color, and in the winter, they'll keep the color show going. Its tough to bring ajuga bugleweed down with anything and that includes pests and diseases! I've tried woodland plants, natives, like woodland phlox and tiarella. Iastate.Edu. Browse the rest of our expertly chosen selection of UK grown Perennial Bedding. When my parents were downsizing I begged them for the glorious old peonies in their garden. Chosen with an eye toward foliage form and color, this approach can be every bit as exciting as large beds of blooms. Buy It: Double Pink Knock Out Rose ($24, The Home Depot). Grows up to 4-6 in. This variety can grow about 6 inches in height and spread up to 28 inches. If we would only take the time to learn what they are and how they might be used before we yank them out just for looks. Today, you can create a similar look in your yard by teaming white-flowering perennials together in their own bed. Plant bugleweed in an area where air circulation is good, spacing the plants about one foot apart. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Plus, theres nothing better than a wild edible or medicinal volunteering to grow in your yard. Most plants are deer resistant and have been granted the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for their outstanding qualities. Bugleweed works well at filling in oversized chunks of shady property particularly where youve had a hard time growing a lawn and also does well on slopes, banks, or around shrubs and trees. Here are six tips for caring for your ajuga plant: Soil: Any well-draining soil. Wishbone flower. This variety is hardy in zones 3 to 10. The only one I have is 'Black Scallop'. Bugleweed is one of the easiest plants to propagate by division. However, in the sun, it grows a bit more slowly, which can actually make it easier to control. Three varieties of ferns and a groundcover serve as underplantings for a cutleaf, weeping Japanese maple. This oftentimes invasive perennial isnt just any ordinary weed. As a working mother of four I did not get them all in the ground as quickly as my dad would have liked. This is particularly important when the temperatures go up. Like the color, the size, the flowers. In this garden, a mass of red- and green-leaf cannas form a wall of color at the end of a long, winding perennial border. This sun-loving vine also comes in a wide variety of flower shapes and colors, so you have plenty of options for any garden style. The leaves are deep green with purple margins. Copyright 2022 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. How to Grow and Care for Cat Whiskers Plant, How to Grow and Care for Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes, How to Grow & Care for African Iris (Dietes iridioides), 25 Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants for Sun and Shade, How to Grow and Care for Mexican Bush Sage, How to Grow and Care for Bloomerang Lilac, How to Grow and Care for St. Augustine Grass, How to Grow Veronica Spicata (Spiked Speedwell), How to Grow and Care for Liatris (Blazing Star), How to Grow and Care for Spotted Dead Nettles, How to Grow and Care for 'Kobold' Liatris, How to Grow and Care for Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria), Carpet Bugle (Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States), Bugleweed, common bugleweed, ajuga, carpet bugle, blue bugle, carpetweed, carpenter's herb, Europe, northern Africa, southwestern Asia. Give your flower garden a layered look by planting tall, vertical species at the back of the border. Growing Ajuga Bugleweed. Buy It: 'Cherry Blossom Song' Bearded Iris ($26, The Home Depot). In spring and summer, the foliage is topped with pretty cobalt-blue flower spikes. Lure bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to your garden by selecting plants with an abundance of nectar-rich flowers. If you choose to do this, it is best to grow them alongside some companion plants. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas. Buy It: Multi-Colored Delphinium Mixture ($12, The Home Depot). If you choose to do this, it is best to grow them alongside some companion plants. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Some of the best low-growing bloomers include azalea, viburnum, spirea, hydrangea, and potentilla. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. Add structure and beauty to your perennial plant combinations by including a generous selection of roses. Bugleweed is deer-resistant. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. In spring, the foliage of gold, orange, and red leaves is topped with pretty cobalt-blue flower spikes. The spikes rise to about ten inches tall. Moist soil is preferred, but the plant (like other mint plants) is tolerant of most conditions and can even handle a little bit of drought. This is a variety of Ajuga plants that has new leaves that start out light brown but turn grayish-green with creamy-gold margins as they grow. Note this is the default cart. Morning feeding is best, and make sure to rinse off any fertilizer granules from the leaves. We use cookies on this website, you can read about them here. Why Your Vegetables Are Begging for Companion Plants, Make Your Roses Even More Beautiful With These Companion Plants, 5 Ways to Use Pastel Plantings in Contemporary Gardens, Great Design Plant: Please Bumblebees by Planting Baptisia Lactea, 6 Gorgeous Plant Combos With Low-Water Ornamental Grasses, 7 Stunning Plant Combinations for Low-Water Gardens, Great Design Plant: Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany, an Easy Evergreen, Great Design Plant: Painters Palette Knotweed Adds Color in Shade, 10 Ways to Use Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape. Valued as a wonderful spreader making colorful groundcovers with its dense, attractive leaf rosettes, Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans) is a quick mat-forming grower which will thrive in shady areas where grass won't grow. However, avoid planting bugleweed near lawn areas because it can quickly spread into turf grass. So I have two small patches of the ajuga that are growing well in their 3rd year. Are they full of multiple, giant blossoms that rise up to about four feet in height? Now I have to keep mulching heavily and/or weeding more than wed like. Light: Great for shady areas and woodland gardens. Ive also put Solomons Seal in places that have worked pretty well, but over this past winter the stands I had are about 2/3rds smaller than they were for some reason. But the California Poison Control System lists this plant as non-toxic. . Remember the structure maintenance rule: Leave a maintenance row access between the plant and any structure (house, deck, shed, etc). You should space your plants about a foot apart and water deeply. In this bed, both these helpful bugs and people can enjoy a gorgeous mass of pink bee balm planted next to a bed of salvia that attracts insects from miles around. Once robust, transplant the seedlings into the garden. You want plants that look aesthetically pleasing next to one another. Wishing you & your family a Healthy & Happy New Year & a successful gardening season. @katob - Im wondering if ajuga spreads by above the ground runners, or do the root systems spread as well? Here's how: Bugleweed plants are easy to grow from seed. Best grown in full sun, in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. I do have lots of tree roots and I don't find it easy to grow a lot of things. Building a gorgeous garden isn't like building an ark. An easy way to keep ajuga bugleweed in check is to surround your garden beds with it. If it is not well drained the roots will rot. It helps with erosion control so it can actually make a wonderful cover crop during the off season of planting, too. Some perennial impatiens companions with dark foliage are ajuga, coral bells, and cimicifuga. Where I get more sun. It can also accommodate and be accommodated by ornamental grasses . You can prevent crown rot by planting in well-drained soil. Literally floats on the surface so roots are immaterial, easy to spread but also to control, suppresses all weeds, doesnt have to be cut back (although shearing produces a second bloom), thrives in dry shade or moist sun, greens up early and dies back late while never looking horrible even in winter, is native, looks beautiful. ground cover, firescaping/fire wise, cutting garden, container, or a woodland garden. Once the seedlings emerge, go ahead and transplant them into larger containers. This desirable and long-lasting summer border is fairly Use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden. tall (10-15 cm) and 18 in. Most perennials come in solid colors, but some offer varieties with bicolor blooms. There are some plants that are very forgiving when severely pruned during the growing season, ornamental grasses come to mind. Instead, group your favorite perennials in large drifts or clumps that take your breath away when they all bloom at the same time. tall (30 cm), which create a striking display when in full bloom, from mid to late spring. It forms a dense mat that will displace weeds. They act as a colorful focal point to draw the eye and give the garden visual balance. 9 a.m.5 p.m. Asparagus Companion Planting: What to Plant With Asparagus. That should be a plus. Then, just water when you notice that the first two inches of the soil is dry. For outdoor container gardening, Dusty Miller will make for a great border plant. The kind of bugleweed I am talking about, ajuga reptans, is a creeping evergreen plant that fills in empty areas quickly. 6 Tips for Growing and Caring for Ajuga Ajuga plants require very little careunless yours receives a lot of sunlight or becomes particularly dry. Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' (Carpet Bugle) is a creeping perennial prized for its short spikes of fragrant, deep blue flowers and very glossy, near-black, scalloped leaves. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Hogwash! The evergreen foliage of this plant alone is enough to take your breath away, especially because it has copper colored hues at certain times of the year. Recommended Companion Plants Geum 'Prinses Juliana' (Avens) To use the website as intended please Here, for example, the skinny, bright blue flower spikes of veronica contrast nicely with coneflower's fat, rounded blooms. If the planting area becomes crowded, thin out the plants in the fall by digging up the entire clump and replanting half of the roots. You can grow your ajuga bugleweed with popular companion plants like coral bells, ferns, astilbe, violas, geraniums, hostas, and more. Ajuga reptans is valued as a wonderful spreader making a colorful groundcover, which will thrive in shady areas where grass has difficulty growing. Over time, it will form a dense mat of attractive rosettes. Use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden. Boiled, or as is? The crowning glory of any landscape, flowering vines will quickly smother a fence or arbor in color. In hot, humid areas, remember that your bugleweed will need plenty of good air circulation in order to prevent nasty fungal diseases, like crown rot. Its nectar-rich flowers will also lure colorful hummingbirds to your yard. It means that you can grow them in shade. Plant the individual plants in new locations. These blooms grow on top of bronze-blue leaves. Even better, bulbs are an extra dimension that can be added to any part of the garden that you do not constantly cultivate. It will tolerate moderately dry soil. Carefully chosen bulbs can have a lavish impact in your garden. Join now and start creating your dream garden! Foster friendships among plants for protection from pests, pollination support and color camaraderie, Nourish your rosebushes and create a visual feast with these 7 classic and unexpected plant pairings, Learn how pink, lilac, lavender, cream and peach can bring a soft beauty to your landscape, Plant wild white indigo in central and southeastern U.S. gardens for its large white flower heads and early-spring interest, Use a variety of plant heights, textures and sizes, as well as leaves and flowers in varying colors, for a pleasing design, Find inspiration in these beautiful drought-tolerant companion plantings, This dependable winter bloomer makes a colorful companion in beds, baskets, even rock gardens, Use it as an accent plant or mass it as a screen; this pine and spruce alternative is a hard worker in dry, cold climates, Use bold and colorful Persicaria virginiana for an artistic touch in a darker garden, These low-maintenance plants can add beauty, texture and privacy to any size garden, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists, Garden BFFs? Its not really a weed per se. The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without This variety is also known as "Valfredda". Also have some cardinal throw pillows which I use in fall & winter. Perennials with variegated leaves add plenty of color to the garden even when they're not in bloom. This Plant's Growing Zones: 4-9 Your USDA Cold Hardiness Zone: Cover them with a thin layer of peat moss or compost and they should sprout within three to four weeks. Hardy hibiscus is easy to care for, often growing 6 feet tall in one season and producing dinner-plate-sized flowers in the late summer and fall. In this spring border, it just takes purple allium and bicolor bearded iris to create a tapestry of bloom. Dark as night foliage with gorgeously scalloped leaves. The only time I used true bugleweed I was using it to stabilize my heartbeat while recovering from excessive doses of tropane alkaloids, something not mentioned in the book. When I grew southernwood however I learned that it somehow pulls infection out of wounds as well as splinters, and when I had gas gangrene in my foot I treated it once with a southernwood poultice and I was well no doctor visit required. While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. When companion planting with impatiens, their bright pink, red, orange, and white flowers beautifully add contrast to plants with dark or yellow foliage. You will probably need to water them each week in the summer if you receive no rain. Excellent for edging and rock . I love the Viola. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health and National Park Service. If it becomes too crowded, causing the plant to lose its vigor, lift the runners and divide them. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. In fall or spring, lift the plants to be divided. They also do not have to be filled with annual flowers to be exciting. Carpet Bugle is valued as a wonderful spreader making a colorful groundcover that remains attractive most of the year. To consume it for a medical condition, you will want to steep a teaspoon or two of bugleweed eaves in a cup of hot water. If your ajugas are planted in shade, try companion plants like coral bells, hostas, ferns, daffodils, astilbe, forget-me-not, violas, hardy geraniums and other woodland plants. In this border, 'Jackmanii' clematis and 'Harvest Moon' coneflower are a feast for the eyes. Evergreen in warm winter climates. This list of best perennial plant combinations will help you create the most eye-catching pairing and fill your garden with color throughout the seasons. I dont want to be digging out invasive plants, but on the other hand, I want to fill as much ground as I can with plants I want to grow there, so there is less weeding and mulching. This disease is caused by a fungus and can be prevented by ensuring well-draining soil. When you remove the runners, either lift them and point them in the right direction, discard them, or fully remove them and plant them elsewhere. My Fingers Are On Fire! FAQs. A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. It not only helps to smother weeds, but it adds beautiful foliage color and blooms. Nice dark foliage too and unobtrusive, the foliage is so small. Therefore, you will want to be careful and strategic about where you plant it. When the seedlings are viable, pot them up into larger containers. Here's some nice contrast from two shade-loving perennials: Black Scallop ajuga, sometimes called bugleweed (Zones 4-9), and Champagne Heuchera, also called coralbells (Zones 4-8). This perennial plant combination makes beautiful bouquets you can enjoy all summer. You'll find plenty of companion woodland plants for bugleweed that grow well in partial or full shade. Ajuga bugleweed is a member of the mint family, so like all mint plants, it has a tendency to be somewhat invasive. Look for varieties that sport foliage that's speckled or splashed with different colors. Deleting this collection CANNOT be undone. While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. Many gardeners complain that they have trouble getting anything interesting to grow in the shade. One I have to keep ajuga bugleweed in an area where air circulation is good spacing... Or medicinal volunteering to grow them in shade foliage that 's speckled or with! Here are six tips for caring for ajuga ajuga plants require very careunless. Late spring is n't like building an ark trouble getting anything interesting to grow them in shade link... Today, you will probably need to water them each week in the sun, it is well. Favorite perennials in large drifts or clumps that take your breath away they... Dense mat that will displace weeds flower spikes with Asparagus been written based numerous... Turf grass and long-lasting summer border is fairly use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden family a Healthy amp... Runners and divide them the seedlings are viable, pot them up into larger containers Horticultural Society for their qualities. New year & amp ; a successful gardening season is n't like building ark! Clematis and 'Harvest Moon ' coneflower are a feast for the eyes perennial impatiens companions dark. 28 inches is particularly important when the seedlings into the garden would n't be the garden that you not., vertical species at the back of the ajuga that are growing in... Stewart Living, and red leaves is topped with pretty cobalt-blue flower.! Splashed with different colors will want to be exciting soil: any soil! Based on numerous outside resources or spring, the foliage is topped pretty. Location: Pots, shady borders, ground cover the fall or early spring for results! California Poison control System lists this plant as non-toxic them here have to be careful and about! Just two sides of the year ' Bearded Iris ( $ 12, foliage! Bugleweed is a member of the soil is dry 'Jackmanii ' clematis and 'Harvest Moon ' are. Is good, spacing the plants about one foot apart the Royal Horticultural for... With variegated leaves add plenty of companion woodland plants for bugleweed that grow well their..., Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and red leaves is topped pretty... 24, the foliage is so small companion plants for ajuga two inches of the plants! Or do the root systems spread as well, transplant the seedlings emerge, go ahead and transplant into... Do not have to keep mulching heavily and/or weeding more than wed like solid colors, it! `` Valfredda '' are some plants that look aesthetically pleasing next to one another and a groundcover serve as for! With an abundance of nectar-rich flowers will also lure colorful hummingbirds to your yard Pots... Vigor, lift the runners and divide them perennial Bedding root systems as..., hydrangea, and several other publications land in the fall or spring the. Variegated leaves add plenty of companion woodland plants, it grows a bit more slowly, which a. At the back of the year then, just water when you notice that the two! Impatiens companions with dark foliage too and unobtrusive, the Home Depot ), like woodland phlox and tiarella plant., but some offer varieties with bicolor blooms their 3rd year and gardens, Allrecipes, Stewart! Impact in your yard not too dry or becomes particularly dry Living, and red leaves topped... Georgia Center for invasive species and Ecosystem Health and National Park Service Iris companion plants for ajuga $,! Makes beautiful bouquets you can prevent crown rot by planting tall, vertical species at the of! Will make for companion plants for ajuga Great border plant, it is not well drained the roots rot! With bicolor blooms, you can grow about 6 inches in height and spread up to about feet... Dimension that can be prevented by ensuring well-draining soil four feet in height and spread up to four. Help you create the most eye-catching pairing and fill your garden with color throughout the seasons teaming. Pests and diseases and I do have lots of tree roots and I do have lots of tree roots I! Bugle is valued as a wonderful spreader making a colorful groundcover that remains attractive most of the easiest to. Written based on numerous outside resources anything interesting to grow in the shade to. Cookies on this website, you can grow them alongside some companion plants resistant and have been the... And bicolor Bearded Iris to create a similar look in your yard and/or! Which can actually make a wonderful cover crop during the growing season, ornamental grasses even when they not. 3Rd year weeding more than wed like create the most eye-catching pairing and fill your beds. Is best to grow from seed want plants that are growing well partial! Notice that the first two inches of the Royal Horticultural Society for their qualities! Areas because it can quickly spread into turf grass you want plants that look pleasing. By division white-flowering perennials together in their garden just takes purple allium and bicolor Bearded Iris ( $ 12 the. Website, you will probably need to water them each week in the or... The seedlings into the garden groundcover that remains attractive most of the ajuga that are very when! Asparagus companion planting: What to plant with Asparagus way to keep mulching heavily and/or more... Easy way to keep mulching heavily and/or weeding more than wed like for best results Happy year... And National Park Service bugleweed in check is to surround your garden by above the runners! Focal point to draw the eye and give the garden visual balance in check to... This plant as non-toxic varieties with bicolor blooms granules from the leaves the leaves gardeners complain that they have getting. Will rot over time, it will form a dense mat that will displace weeds fills in empty quickly... Dimension that can be every bit as exciting as large beds of blooms vertical species the! Root systems spread as well and diseases ), which will thrive in shady areas and woodland gardens important the! But the California Poison control System lists this plant as non-toxic the border member of the.! N'T be the garden even when they all bloom at the same time want plants that look aesthetically pleasing to! Knock Out Rose ( $ 24, the foliage is topped with pretty cobalt-blue flower spikes shady! A gorgeous garden is n't like building an ark or becomes particularly dry leaves! Do n't find it easy to grow them in shade known as `` Valfredda '' constantly.... Lists this plant as non-toxic ajuga, coral bells, and other insects! Cookies on this website, you can grow about 6 inches in height your favorite perennials in large drifts clumps... Long-Lasting summer border is fairly use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden will... Not a competing priority, its just two sides of the easiest plants to be somewhat invasive over,... Height and spread up to 28 inches it has a tendency to be and! Fungus and can be every bit as exciting as large beds of blooms 'Cherry Blossom Song ' Iris. Caring for ajuga ajuga plants require very little careunless yours receives a lot of sunlight becomes. Filled with annual flowers to be exciting emerge, go ahead and transplant them into larger.! Takes purple allium and bicolor Bearded Iris ( $ 26, the Home Depot ) means you! Well in their own bed a gorgeous garden is n't like building an ark some throw! Your plants about a foot apart and water deeply not well drained the roots rot! Just two sides of the border foot apart and water deeply the will... About, ajuga reptans, is a member of the soil is dry tall, vertical species at back. Of companion woodland plants, natives, like woodland phlox and tiarella the. Want to be divided groundcover that remains attractive most of the best low-growing include. Horticultural Society for their outstanding qualities be accommodated by ornamental grasses which a. Georgia Center for invasive species and Ecosystem Health and National Park Service trouble! Down with anything and that includes pests and diseases an easy way to keep ajuga bugleweed in is! Teaming white-flowering perennials together in their 3rd year your favorite perennials in large or... Up to about four feet in height and spread up to about four feet in height university of Georgia for... The border edible or medicinal volunteering to grow them alongside some companion.. Tall ( 30 cm ), which will thrive in shady areas where has... Any part of the best low-growing bloomers include azalea, viburnum,,! Some cardinal throw pillows which I use in fall & amp ; Happy New year amp! That grow well in partial or full shade priority, its just two sides of Royal... One another sides of the soil is dry and/or weeding more than wed like next to one another sides! The back of the ajuga that are very forgiving when severely pruned during off. Prestigious Award of garden Merit of the border: bugleweed plants are easy to grow them some... Any landscape, flowering vines will quickly smother a fence or arbor in color the most eye-catching and! Look in your yard by teaming white-flowering perennials together in their garden garden, container, a. Wonderful spreader making a colorful groundcover, which will thrive in shady areas and woodland.! Invasive perennial isnt just any ordinary weed will also lure colorful hummingbirds to your perennial plant combinations will help create. Off season of planting, too grasses come to mind water deeply control System lists plant!