Bugleweed (Ajuga Reptans): ground cover with healing properties

Bugleweed (Ajuga Reptans)

Origin

The Creeping bugle (Ajuga reptans) is a native wild shrub of the Lamiaceae family. Its distribution area stretches from Europe, Tunisia and Algeria to the Caucasus and Northern Iran. It has also become established in North America. It is found mainly in swampy forests, meadows and on mountain slopes.

Growth

The carpet-forming perennial is a very good ground cover and spreads quickly over runners. Ajuga reptans grows up to 20 centimetres high and usually even wider than high.

Leaves

The leaves of the creeping bugle are metallically shiny, the colour can range from green to brown or red, some varieties even show different colours at once. The wintergreen leaves grow up to eight centimetres long. They are spatulate and usually slightly indented, the lower leaves grow in a rosette

Flowers

The creeping bugle has conspicuous inflorescences up to 20 centimetres long. From April to June the flowers are arranged in several tiers, one above the other like a whisk. They are usually purple-blue in colour, but there are also pink or white varieties. The lower lip of the flowers is always larger than the upper lip when the bugle is crawling

Fruits

As fruits Ajuga reptans forms small nuts

Location

The Creeping Günsel loves a semi-shady location between and in front of shrubs or walls. On damp pond and stream banks it can also tolerate full sun. As a rule of thumb: The more humid the soil is, the more sunlight is tolerated. The light conditions have an effect on the colouring of the leaves of some varieties.

Floor

The Creeping Günsel thrives best on soils that are permanently moist. The substrate should be sandy-clayey, rich in nutrients and humus.

Plantation

As the creeping bugle spreads very quickly, ten plants per square metre are usually sufficient. The plants are planted at intervals of 30 to 35 centimetres.

Care

Ajuga reptans is an extremely easy-care ground cover that can even be mowed once or twice a year with a lawnmower. This is best done after flowering and ensures an even thicker plant carpet. Special care measures are usually not necessary. However, a thin layer of semi-mature compost applied once a year will have a positive effect on the growth of the perennials. Plants that are too vigorous and threaten to overgrow their neighbours can simply be pruned at the edges

Share

Ajuga reptans can be propagated by division of the mother plant in spring or autumn

Use

The creeping bugle is excellent for planting under shrubs, bushes and larger perennials, such as meadow-rue (Thalictrum), troll flower (Trollius) or even the splendorpier (Astilbe). In the garden, mainly varieties with coloured or variegated leaves are used, which can also be excellently combined with each other or with the species. In spring, bulbous and tuberous plants, such as snowdrop (Leucojum) or snowdrop (Galanthus), can add colourful accents to the Günsel’s foliage decoration. The groundcover is also very suitable for fixing the ground on shady embankments.

The creeping bugle is also known as a medicinal plant. As it has slightly analgesic properties, it can be used as a wound herb. In the past, it was also used as a laxative and belongs to the group of medicinal herbs that are said to have a liver cleansing effect.

Varieties

The variety ‘Alba’ flowers white and has rich green foliage, some forms have orange stems and slightly pied flowers. Ajuga reptans ‘Atropurpurea’ is one of the most commonly used varieties and has very dark, monochrome violet-brown leaves with a bronze shimmer and a bright blue flower. It is often confused with ‘Brownheart’, which is also dark purple and shiny, with a leaf rosette that is darker on the inside than on the outside. Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’ has silver-green and bronze variegated leaves that turn darker in the autumn. Multicolor’ is a variety with strikingly colorful leaves, on which white, pink and yellow shades are mixed with red and green

Propagation

The Creeping Günsel can be easily propagated by splitting in spring or by rooted downers. Under good site conditions it likes to sow itself, the species and some varieties can also be grown from the seeds. It is important to cover the dark seed germ with a thick layer of substrate.

Diseases and pests

In unfavorable weather, mildew may occasionally occur on Ajuga reptans, but usually disappears quickly.

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