Ajuga

Fast-growing Ajuga, also known as Bugleweed, is an excellent perennial groundcover that forms a dense carpet of foliage. You'll find an eye-catching selection of Ajuga groundcover for sale right here at Nature Hills Nursery.

This semi-evergreen flowering groundcover plant develops runners that take root and spread - sometimes very fast!

About Carpet Bugleweed

Also known as Bugleweed, Carpet Bugleweed, Ground Pine, Carpet Bugle, or simply Bugle, Ajuga plants grow into a 2 to 6-inch tall groundcover plant that flowers in spring. Members of the Mint Family, Bugle forms spinach-like leaves in green, bronze, or purple-tinged, and even variegated forms with rose, burgundy, and purple mixed with greens and cream!

The flower spikes are full showy calyxes and colorful florets, that attract a wide range of bees, butterflies, and other hungry pollinators! You will even see a hummingbird to two sipping from the small Salvia-like tubular blooms - which range from purple to blue!

Plus all these varieties have aromatic foliage with a pleasant resinous minty fruity smell. And they all have great fall color with foliage that can be semi-evergreen in warm growing zones!

NatureHills.com has many Ajuga varieties available and they all bring a different look and feel to your landscaping, with a range of colors and textures to suit your style!

Here are some of Nature Hills' Most Unique Groundcover Ajuga!

• Black Scallop Ajuga - Dark glossy (nearly black) burgundy-purple foliage
• Chocolate Chip Ajuga - Very showy, tall purple blooms
• Catlin's Giant Ajuga - The largest ornamental Bugleweed
• Burgundy Glow Ajuga - Cream, green & burgundy foliage and burgundy fall color
• Dixie Chip Ajuga - Narrow-leafed Bugleweed that is dwarf-sized and slower-growing

These flowering groundcover plants are deer and rabbit-resistant, have few pests or diseases, and have a wide range of growing zone tolerances from chilly USDA planting zone 3 and 4, up to USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11! Not minding drier soil once established, you are sure to fall in love with this low-growing, low-maintenance accent plant!

How To Use Ornamental Bugleweed In Your Garden

The root system of Ajuga is quite extensive and naturally spreads and forms mat-like colonies, making Ajuga an excellent plant to use as en masse naturalizing, groundcover, on slopes for erosion control and hard-to-mow hillsides. You'll love seeing Bronze Beauty Ajuga spreading wide with its tall spires of purple in the spring.

Use as colorful edging and front-of-the-garden-border landscape bed definition, as living mulch that blocks weeds and insulates the bare ground, while adding a fringe or support color as it rambles politely around your trees, shrubs, and larger perennials!

You can even plant flowering Bugleweed in your pots and planters as fillers and spillers! Try the petite Dixie Chip dwarf Ajuga for a tri-colored mixed planter greenery option!

Go big with these easily spreading plants that fill large areas fast with brilliant color! Have a shaded spot where the lawn won't grow? Plant Ajuga and let it freely ramble as turfgrass alternatives! You can mow it and even walk on it as it tolerates occasional foot traffic! Go ahead and plant some along your stone steps or between pavers and pathway stones! It will be the finishing touch you didn't know you needed! Ajuga is tough enough for use along driveways, along the street and sidewalk in the hell strip, or happily filling in commercial sites and rocky/gravel/sandy areas where conditions are rough on plants.

FAQs

Choosing The Right Ajuga For You!

Browse only for the Ajuga for your Planting Zone using our USDA zone filters, choose sun exposure levels, or narrow the options by flower color, size, and more! Need the Ajuga that handles zone 3 chill? Dixie Chip is your Ajuga! Need groundcover for the hottest regions of the US?

• Ajuga in general does great in partial sun/partly shaded locations. In cooler climates, they do well in more sun, but in hot climates, they can handle more shade, appreciating the afternoon shade best. Find how much sun your area has and then toggle the sun exposure option based on what is available for these plants.

• Ajuga has a range of sizes, from the smallest Chocolate Chip to the largest and widest spreading varieties, to the fastest growing that naturalize quickly to cover large areas of ground.

If you have poor drainage or heavy bogged-down clay, then Ajuga is not for you. You can however create a raised berm to plant in or use these showy low-growing plants as container fillers and spillers. If you suspect soggy soil, create a mound of 18-24 inches of topsoil over the location and plant in this berm. But if you are looking for a hardy Xeric perennial groundcover - Ajuga is the perfect plant!

Caring For Carpet Ajuga

Ajuga plants tolerate a wide range of soil conditions as long as the soil is well-drained. Consider your planting area carefully for the best results. Ajuga groundcover plants do best in a lightly shaded area that is moist. They can tolerate full sun in cooler climates, and may produce more flowers than they would in the shade, but prefer shade or afternoon shade in hot growing zones.

Get your new perennial Bugleweed off on the right foot with these simple tips, planting advice in our #ProPlantTips, and with Nature Hills Root Booster!

After blooming, the spent flower stems can be trimmed back to the base plant for a neat uniform covering effect. Pruning is done by mowing or cutting the foliage back to the ground. Thinning (division) is suggested about every third year to reduce the chance of crown rot.

• Ensure the proper amount of shade/sun depending on your hardiness zone
• These evergreen to semi-evergreen perennials must have well-drained soil
• Create raised gardens or berms if you have poor drainage
• Provide a 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch over the root system
• Prune After Flowering by shearing off the flower tops, or mowing larger areas
• Water new plants regularly using the Finger Test to help them get established

How Fast Does Ajuga Spread?

Ajuga spreads quickly by way of horizontal stems that creep across the ground and root as they go, creating new plants and thick mats that choke out weeds. When left unattended and without division every few years, can become aggressive in some areas of the country. Be sure to plant slower-growing Ajuga in locations where you don't want them to jump the garden border or get into trouble.

What's So Special About Ajuga?

Not only are Ajuga great groundcovers, have pretty flowers, showy foliage and great fall color, but also are incredibly easy to grow, drought-resistant, and low-maintenance.

The aromatic foliage also makes it Deer and rabbit-resistant!

Ajuga can grow under trees and large shrubs - even Black Walnut Trees!

But if you need more to make you realize how great Ajuga really is … consider the fact Bugleweed is considered low on the allergen list, is a non-toxic member of the Mint Family, and supports pollinators!

Why Order Ajuga From NatureHills.com?

Family-owned and operated since 2001, Nature Hills Nursery prides itself on meeting the needs of customers with an ever-growing collection of online plants backed by our product guarantee and protected by Plant Sentry™.

All of our flowering groundcover is delivered safely to your home with instructions for planting, care, and storage, so you can order knowing you'll have exactly what you need! Plus plenty more information in our #ProPlantTips Garden Blog for extra support and inspiration!

Ajuga provides interest in all four seasons because of its semi-evergreen nature and springtime flowers! If you see one of the Ajuga varieties you just can't live without, don't hesitate to order. We sell out quickly and don't want you to miss out.

Place your order today. Check out the selection of the amazing Ajuga ground cover options for sale at Nature Hills Nursery. Click the photos to learn more, or call our plant experts at (402) 934-8116.