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Ajuga reptans

Bugleweed or Carpetweed

(Lamiaceae [also known as Labiatae] - Mint Family)

Form

• small- to medium-sized, herbaceous semi-evergreen groundcover
• assumes a 2" to 4" tall groundcover effect in Summer, Autumn, and Winter, but rises to 10" tall when in flower in mid-Spring
• prostrate mat growth habit
• medium growth rate (at its perimeter, by runners that root)

Culture

• partial sun to full shade
• prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in partial shade, with regular watering during the hot and dry periods of Summer; however, it is adaptable to more harsh conditions, including poor soils and heat
• propagated by transplanting of daughter plants from rooted runners, or by crown division
• Mint Family, with crown rot under extremely wet conditions and plant dieback under extremely prolonged, dry conditions being the only two significant problems
• commonly available in flats or containers
• flowering stalks may be sheared off or trimmed off after bloom to enhance the foliage effect
• surface-rooting perimeter runners are easily removed if this is done a couple of times each year, as the rooting is slow and shallow, but removal is much more difficult if left unattended for a year or more, as the density and invasiveness of the runners will give rise to many daughter plants at the perimeter of the original planting, including invasion into lawn areas

Foliage

• evergreen to semi-evergreen light green, dark green, bronzed, purple, or variegated leaves, depending upon cultivar
• leaves radiate from the crowns and are obovate and slightly pubescent
• leaves on flowering stalks are small and sessile
• fall color is unchanged for green or variegated types, but bronzes heavily for other types

Flowers

• blue, purple, pink, or white, depending upon cultivar
• small flowers on dense upright inflorescences create a colorful carpeted effect during the peak blossom period in May and June, and attract many bees
• the lower petal is like a forked tongue emerging from the remainder of the corolla, while the green calyx is hirsute
• flowering stalks are square with small opposite leaves

Fruits

• ornamentally inconspicuous, as small brown seeds on the persistent fruiting stalks

ID Summary

• lush clumps of obovate basal foliage emerge from the numerous crowns in the colony, and may be green, bronzed, or variegated, and are semi-evergreen in Winter; flowering stalks rise in Spring and usually have small blue or purple flowers, attracting many bees

Function

• foundation, bed, planter, edging, or entranceway groundcover for shady conditions

Texture

• medium-fine texture
• thick density

Assets

• evergreen to semi-evergreen carpet of low, dense foliage
• carpet of small flowers arrayed densely on vertical inflorescences in late Spring

Liabilities

• planting will slowly invade beyond its originally intended boundaries by rooting runners, including adjacent lawn areas and perennial beds
• variegated forms will slowly revert to green or bronzed foliage forms unless the non-variegated sports are periodically removed
• foliage wilts and shrivels under drought conditions
• flowers attract many bees in May and June
• mass planting may die out (due to crown rot) under prolonged wet conditions in poorly drained soils

Habitat

• zones 4 to 8
• native to Europe

Variants

• Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty' - bright green-bronze foliage turns glossy deep purple in Autumn and Winter
• Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow' (also known as 'Burgundy Lace') - pink, white, and green variegated foliage, which will develop sports with time and revert back to a form identical to 'Bronze Beauty', unless these sports are periodically removed
• Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' - foliage almost twice as big as normal, becoming more popular for its medium-bold texture
• Ajuga reptans 'Metallica Crispa' (also known as 'Cristata') - bronzed foliage is small and crinkled, resembling miniature dark spinach, but is not as vigorous as other cultivars, often listed under the species Ajuga pyramidalis

Translation

• Ajuga translates as "without yoke" (this meaning is uncertain).
• reptans translates as "creeping", referring to its spreading runners.

Purpose

• Bugleweed is a Spring-flowering semi-evergreen groundcover with several foliage color and flower color variants.

Summary

• Ajuga reptans is a slowly invasive prostrate groundcover with attractive vertical spikes of flowers in late Spring, and semi-evergreen foliage for year-round interest.

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