Ajuga 'Bronze Beauty'
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HEADS UP. THIS ONE SPREADS.
Ajuga spreads quickly by runners that root as they go, and it will creep into lawns and nearby beds. Plant it where it can be contained, and keep it out of woodlands, ravines and other natural areas.
Ajuga 'Bronze Beauty': Bronze Living Mulch for Bare Patches
Bronzy purple-brown leaves with a glossy finish, like someone polished the patio floor. 'Bronze Beauty' spreads fast and blooms blue right when the early bees need breakfast. THIRD PLACE? NOT A CHANCE.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty'
- Common Name: Bugleweed
- Height: 10β15 cm (4β6 in)
- Spread: 30β45 cm (12β18 in)
- Flowers: Short spikes of deep blue flowers just above the leaves
- Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (May to June)
- Foliage: Glossy, rounded, bronzy purple-brown leaves. Evergreen in mild winters.
- Features: Fast-spreading ground cover, rabbit resistant, takes light foot traffic
Where to Plant: Use it as a living mulch under shrubs, along path edges, between stepping stones or on a slope you'd rather not mow. It also trails nicely over the edge of a container, and leaf colour is richest with a few hours of sun. It isn't native, so keep it in the garden and away from natural areas.
Companion Plants: Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' picks up where the ajuga leaves off, with magenta flowers from May to July. Alchemilla mollis adds yellow flowers and soft, rounded leaves at 30 to 45 cm. Astrantia 'Star of Fire' stands behind with burgundy flowers all summer, echoing the bronze foliage. All three are happy in full sun or partial sun.
Plant Care: Plant about 30 cm (12 in) apart in average soil that stays evenly moist but drains well. It grows in sandy or clay soil. Water regularly through the first season. Very dry shade under maples or evergreens is a struggle, and soggy soil can lead to crown rot. It spreads by runners that root as they go, so keep it away from the lawn or give it a firm edge. Mow or clip off spent flower spikes after bloom to keep it tidy. Divide in spring or fall if the centre thins, or to start new patches.
History: Ajuga reptans comes from Europe and nearby parts of Asia and North Africa, where it grows in damp meadows and woods, and it has been grown in gardens for centuries as a shade-tolerant ground cover. Its runners earned it the species name reptans, which means creeping.
Final Thoughts: Plant it under shrubs, between stepping stones or anywhere the weeds keep winning. Deer and rabbits give up. A PODIUM FINISH FOR EVERY BARE PATCH.
