Years ago I told someone that I had a ton of Bugleweed growing in my yard.  They asked me why I didn’t get rid of it.

Having the word “weed” in a name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad plant.  If I’d known better, I’d have called it by its proper name “Ajuga.”

Ajuga is a gorgeous ground cover and very hardy.  It sends up spiked flower stems in mid to late spring.  The foliage is dense enough to deter many weeds.

It comes in quite a variety of colors in both foliage and flower.  Foliage ranges in color including deep mahogany, burgundy, pink, maroon, “black” and all shades of green and some have variegated leaves.  Blooms come in shades of purple, blue, pink and white on spikes up to 12”.  They can handle just about any conditions except for foot traffic.

Wikipedia lists 64 varieties. Here are a few:

• Artic Fox

• Black Scallop

• Blueberry Muffin

• Bronze Beauty

• Burgundy Glow

• Catlin’s Giant

• Chocolate Chip

• Dixie Chip

• Golden Glow

• Jungle Beauty

• Mahogany

• Pink Lightning

• Purple Brocade

• Purple Torch

• Silver Beauty

• White

  Don’t forget to include this beauty in your garden.