Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip'
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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 'Chocolate Chip': Chocolate Mini Mat With Blue Spikes
Tiny chocolate bronze leaves in a flat, dense mat, like somebody spilled the cookie jar between your pavers. 'Chocolate Chip' is the smallest of the bugleweed bunch. BAKED FRESH. NEVER CRUMBLES.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate Chip' (also listed as 'Valfredda')
- Common Name: Bugleweed
- Height: 5β10 cm (2β4 in)
- Spread: 30β45 cm (12β18 in)
- Flowers: Short, lacy spikes of deep blue flowers
- Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (May to June)
- Foliage: Small, narrow, chocolate bronze leaves forming a dense, flat mat. Evergreen in mild winters.
- Features: Dwarf, fine-textured ground cover, takes light foot traffic
Where to Plant: Its small leaves and low height make it ideal between stepping stones, along the front edge of a bed, in a rock garden or tucked into a container. It covers ground more slowly than the big-leaved types, which makes it easier to keep in its place.
Companion Plants: Aubrieta 'Rock On Pink' blooms pink in spring, a soft match for the ajuga's blue spikes. Sedum 'Voodoo' keeps the ground low with rose flowers from June to August. Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta rises a little higher with tiny white flowers from early summer to fall. Each one does well in full sun or partial sun.
Plant Care: Plant about 25β30 cm (10β12 in) apart in average, well-drained soil that stays a bit moist. Leaf colour is darkest with some sun. Water regularly through the first season, and during long dry spells after that, especially in shade under trees. It spreads by runners, so give it a clear edge away from the lawn. Shear off spent flower spikes if you want a tidy look. Divide in spring or early fall to move pieces into new spots.
History: 'Chocolate Chip' came from the Italian nursery Valfredda, which is why the name 'Valfredda' often appears beside it, and it was introduced to North America as 'Chocolate Chip'. It's most often sold as a form of Ajuga reptans, a species native to Europe and western Asia, though some sources list it under Ajuga Γ tenorii.
Final Thoughts: Tuck it between stepping stones and let people walk on it. The deer won't touch it, and the early bees will. NO MILK REQUIRED.
