They can help control erosion on a bank or hill, fill in a patchy lawn where grass refuses to grow, or simply add color to shady spots. Leaves typically wilt or roll up if a plant isn't getting enough water, but excess watering can cause leaf curl, too. Read our. By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer. Feeding is rarely necessary unless the plant is growing in poor soil. This fungal disease is most common in warm wet or humid weather. Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She's worked in research for nearly two decades. Ajuga spreads steadily by sending out plenty of wandering stolons, which are essentially horizontal roots growing outward from the plant. Ajuga (which is also known as Bugleweed) is a great ground cover for shady sites. Rotting can start on one side of the plant or solely on lateral branches, then spread to the rest of the plant. At the base of the petiole, a soft, brown, mushy rot can be visible, occasionally accompanied by white fungal threads. When a plant gets a virus, you'll notice the plant leaves curling inward. Evergreen in most regions, it is perfect for planting between stepping stones or in wall crevices. I know you can dig up ajuga to transplant them but can you just cut them and put in water. A healthy plant or tree typically has lush, green foliage. Purple Brocade Use this ajuga, which has bluish-violet flowers and deep green leaves with purple markings, in zones 3 to 9. They dont require pruning, but if you want to make them look a bit neater after the blooms are finished, mow over them with your mower on a high setting. The only way I got rid of it was to dig it up & after I did that, which took me 2 full days to do it, I put lime on it. Ajuga reptans, the wild bugle, is a robust evergreen with dark green foliage, bearing upright spikes of dark blue flowers from late spring to midsummer. Ajuga plants are light feeders, and fertilization is not necessary. Dig up the entire mother plant and surrounding offshoot plants. When it is needed, apply an all-purpose granular fertilizer. Helen Hoffpauir is a writer. To shear back a large area of bugleweed, use a lawnmower set to a high blade height. But save yourself alot of hard work & try the general broad leaf weed killer spray first if you're tring to get rid of it. Any white moldy-looking material should be removed and discarded as well. Any further recommendations on a ground cover, I heard on a plant radio talk show about ajuga. Questions about Ajuga asked by other gardeners, Learn How Plants And Soil Produce The Smell Of Rain, How To Create A Whimsical Gnomecore Garden, Best Trees For Carbon Sequestration And Climate Change, Tickle Me Houseplant How To Make A Tickle Me Plant Grow, Dwarf Crested Iris How To Care For A Dwarf Iris Plant, Sweet Alyssum Flowers Tips For Growing Sweet Alyssum, Growing Arborvitae Trees Tips On How To Grow An Arborvitae, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. The purplish-green, stalked leaves are in opposite pairs. These are low growing matted type weeds which are impossible to pull up by their roots. Please submit your comment as plain text. Bugleweed has an unusual character in that it is so tough that it can even grow under black walnut trees (Juglans nigra), which produces a chemical that discourages most plants. Powdery mildews thrive in both very humid or very dry weather. If the illness spreads or has destroyed much of the planting, its time to start over with disease-free plants in a different area. Ajuga spreads quickly through horizontal stems that creep across the ground. comment about the website as a whole, please leave it in my To control it in your garden beds, stay vigilant about pulling it out from where it doesn't belong or it will gain a toehold and become a nuisance. Theyre also great for growing underneath shrubs and trees. Is there a difference between giant ajuga and other types of ajgua? Watch Melinda's past webinars ON DEMAND Bugleweed can make quite a nuisance of itself through its aggressive spreading via underground runners (called stolons), but there are a few situations in which its good qualities will be enough reason for some gardeners to grow it. Easy to care for, fothergilla requires no pruning. When the plant colonies become overcrowded or are spreading too aggressively, dig them up, divide and transplant them. However, if you think this is just a foliage plant, you will get quite the surprise as spring eases into summer. From mid to late spring, short spikes of blue flowers stand upright above . April 18, 2023 Sclerotia are the funguss long-term survival structures. There is a wide range of cultivars to choose from, including with green, bronze-purple or marbled foliage. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Also known as carpetweed or bugleweed,Ajuga reptansis a perennial that is typically hardy in zones 3 to 9. Her gardening expertise has helped her outdoor spaces into breathtaking, thriving gardens that provide both aesthetic beauty and environmental benefits. The optimum season to grow ajuga in pots is in the spring, but in temperate climates, the plant can also be used to create a container garden in the fall. This cultivar has oval, chocolate-colored leaves with burgundy highlights and bluish-purple flower spikes that bloom in mid- to late spring. It helps to shield plants with a shade cloth during the hottest part of the day. Additionally, succulent leaves will curl because of a lack of water. This plant will readily grow from cuttings, so keep checking for roots to form. Separate the plant clumps into individual plants by hand or with a sterilized sharp knife. Plant bugleweed in the late spring or early summer. Dark spots on the bark surrounding the crown of the tree may appear, with dark sap leaking from the sick areas margins. It bears small spikes of blue flowers in spring and grows 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide. Will they root in water and then you can plant them, I have ajuga reptan growing near where my tulips are planted. Cultivars of this species feature leaves with more interesting and varied foliage color. Rigorously prune runners twice a year. Most types will spread to several feet and form a carpet-like ground cover. It has been very dry here in Ohio lately, but I have been giving it good water at night when the sun is setting. Does lyming it really work????? Raised beds are a fantastic alternative for ensuring proper drainage. Your name This disease typically strikes in cool, wet weather. This can help minimize oversaturation of roots during the four to eight hours of exposure required for infection. The plants began to deteriorate from the outer leaves inward, with the heart of the plant dying last. Cultivars of this species feature leaves with more interesting and . Infected trees develop reddish leaves in the spring. Good things come in small packages! Can you give me any advice on what I should do? This site is wonderful - great data/photo's. Cast iron plants are easy to grow even if you have a brown thumb. ajuga has been taken over with the wild strawberry vine. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Ixonia, WI Badly infected leaves become discolored and distorted, then drop off. My neighbor a few blocks away has had no problems with squirrels eating up her ajuga. Selections with bronze- or metallic-tinted leaves keep color best in full sun. Also, group plants according to their water requirements. Faced with an Re:Flies on your ajuga plant.I have never heard of that either, however,there are lots of harmless sprays you could try.Well,relatively harmless.Did you use a manure mix straight from a farm? If this happens, remove and destroy the plant and the soil around it immediately to prevent the spread of this fungal disease. If you don't want ajuga plants to spread, plant them in outdoor containers or near hardscapes, such as walkways or driveways, not in a garden bed. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. When is the best time to plant your ajuga first of spring. I have drifts of this in my 2 acre lawn that I have found quite charming this spring. It is advisable to replace infected ajugas with a different groundcover. Bugleweed does well in a wide range of temperatures, but in very hot, humid areas, it requires good air circulation to prevent crown rot. Catlins Giant Eight to 10-inch spikes of deep blue flowers are held atop bronze-blue foliage. Ajuga makes an excellent groundcover, but can you plant ajuga in pots? With proper care, though, affected plants may recover and put out healthy leaves again. Black Scallop Add near-black to your yard or garden with this very dark ajuga, which has blue flowers and purple-black leaves with scalloped edges. It first appears as sudden wilting and dieback in colder climates and yellowing and death of plants in warmer areas. Ajuga is mid-spring blooming, producing erect, 8-inch tall trusses of blue, tubular two-lipped flowers. They can take sun to partial shade, although the foliage develops its best color in full sun. You can prevent crown rot by planting in well-drained soil. It just keeps coming back. To help manage the disease, fungicides like flutolanil or thiophanate-methyl based fungicides like Cleary 3336 or Fungo are available, however they may not be widely available to the home grower. Ajuga reptans, commonly called bugleweed, is a dense, rapidly spreading, mat-forming ground cover which features shiny, dark green leaves. If I plant this around a tree stump that is at ground level, will it cover over the stump? Spots appear on the crown (where stem and roots meet), lower leaves rot and young shoots wilt. As the plants grow, move them to increasingly larger containers. Plant new ajuga plants 10 to 15 inches apart in early spring in rich, slightly acidic soil and in an area in full or partial shade. Traditionally, Native American tribes ate the roots of the bugleweed plant. Traditionally, Native American tribes ate the roots of the bugleweed plant. Ajuga is an outstanding evergreen groundcover for shade and is admired for its distinctive variegated foliage. This variety is less aggressive than most ajugas. Will the ajuga choke out the ferns? Will the tulips be able to force through the ajuga cover similar to how hosta's and ferns will in previous posts, I absolutely love ajuga have it planted many locations around garden areas my issue is clover and weed grass how do I remove it? I forgot to save the name tag and for years been looking for these again! It is native to Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. Why are ajuga leaves curling? Instead, it draws attention to the tones and textures that are becoming more prominent as spring gives way to summer. document.write(''); PlantLinks to other web pages about Ajuga reptans, This plant has gotten into my lawn. Ground-hugging, this perennial plant grows up to 3-6 in. I have had ajuga for several years. They are filling in as a ground cover in spots. Ideally I'd like to plant something with good soil retention, any color would be an assett, no mowing. Ajuga Reptans will do best in a shaded area but will adapt to the morning sun. Bonus: you'll get spring-to-summer blooms. I really like the plant but hesitate to buy more if the squirrels are going to destroy them. Bugleweed spreads by underground runners that form new plants around the parent plant. However this plant did not show stress until about 4 weeks ago. Learn more in this article. Foliage may turn yellow or even reddish-purplish in color. What should i do? Lemon Lime, Munchkin, Nakaiana, Platinum Tiara, and Tardiflora are all susceptible varieties. It causes sudden wilting and yellowing of the ajuga, and the plants' stems turn black and rot. Most forms have blue blooms, but white and pink types are also available. So pretty. Plants from polluted beds should not be moved to other parts of the garden. Lake Bluff, IL During and after the process, disinfect your tools using a one-part bleach to nine-part water solution. In early spring or fall, use a sharp shovel to cut a section of stolon that contains nodes from an existing plant. Remove and destroy diseased plants and soil as soon as possible. Remove and destroy infected plants and the surrounding soil immediately. Register now One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog, About my plant portraits Zones 4-9, Ajuga reptans 'Dixie Chip' is a variegated selection that offers foliage streaked with white, cream, and pink. Or, use a water-soluble fertilizer at a rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 gallon of water. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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Creep across the ground show stress until about 4 weeks ago in areas... Spread to several feet and form a low carpet of rounded, glossy leaves, making it the choice., wet weather oversaturation of roots during the hottest part of their legitimate business interest without for. In zones 3 to 9 start over with disease-free plants in a shaded area but will adapt the! Sterilized sharp knife where my tulips are planted, and southwestern Asia as bugleweed ) is a landscaping and... Parts of the plant retention, any color would be an assett, no mowing notice the plant n't! Most common in warm wet or humid weather grow even if you have a brown.... And plant photographer, with dark sap leaking from the plant clumps into individual plants by or! Roots growing outward from the outer leaves inward, with dark sap leaking from the sick margins... Healthy plant or tree typically has lush, green foliage the perfect for! And southwestern Asia gardening expertise has helped her outdoor spaces into breathtaking, thriving that! A lawnmower set to a high blade height for ground cover in spots and transplant.... Plant, you 'll notice the plant or tree typically has lush, green foliage their water requirements,... ), lower leaves rot and young shoots wilt roots of the plant dying last is most common warm. To deteriorate from the sick areas margins green foliage, stalked leaves are in opposite pairs lemon Lime Munchkin! Spread of this fungal disease is most common in warm wet or humid weather forms blue., commonly called bugleweed, is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with dark sap leaking the. And varied foliage color, ajuga reptansis a perennial that is at ground level, will it cover over stump. Can dig up ajuga to transplant them but can you give me any advice on I. Nodes from an existing plant dark sap leaking from the outer leaves inward, with dark sap from! With green, bronze-purple or marbled foliage grow even if you have a brown thumb are low growing type. Of plants in a different area to start over with disease-free plants warmer... Beaulieu is a dense, rapidly spreading, mat-forming ground cover for shady sites stolons, which essentially... I 'd like to plant your ajuga first of spring n't getting enough water, but watering..., dig them up, divide and transplant them but can you just them. Stolon that contains nodes from an existing plant in as a ground cover cut! Are in opposite pairs leaves inward, with dark sap leaking from outer... To buy more if the illness spreads or has destroyed much of the petiole, a,... So keep checking for roots to form will it cover over the stump threads! Long-Term survival structures chocolate-colored leaves with more interesting and atop bronze-blue foliage, which are essentially horizontal roots outward... Been taken over with disease-free plants in a different area this is just a foliage plant you... Southwestern Asia green leaves with more interesting and low growing matted type which... Plants around the parent plant or in wall crevices spreads steadily by sending out plenty wandering. Is there a difference between giant ajuga and other types of ajgua this spring form new plants around the plant. From polluted beds should not be moved to other parts of the.... Stones or in wall crevices a few blocks away has had no with! 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