Pronounciation: A-JEW-ga REP-tans

Hardiness zones
Sunset 1-9, 12-24
USDA 3-11

Landscape Use: In Phoenix, common bugle is best used as a small-scale groundcover for full-shaded entryways and bright indirect-lighted landscape atriums or as a winter annual edging accent plant in mixed flower borders (if closely massed). In higher elevation landscapes of Arizona such as in Payson, Prescott, Sedona, or Flagstaff, common bugle serves as a lovely open-air, small-scale ground cover where close inspection of its wonderful detail can be made.

Form & Character: Small, very diminutive, elegant, regal, and crispy tender. Common bugle is a real treasure of a small, spreading plant that few anymore are willing to take the time to discover.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous perennial ground cover, slow growth rate, very prostrate and spreading by stolons. In time, common bugle can form a dense mat.

Foliage/Texture: Somewhat succulent yet crispy foliage, dark green with shades of bronze to purple of various sizes to 1-inch long, sometimes re-curved and crenate. Looks like very small leaf lettuce; medium texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Small, protruding blue to purple (sometimes rose or white) flowers in spikes during winter/spring; fruits insignificant.

Seasonal Color: Leaf color during winter cold and flowers in spring.

Temperature: Common bugle is surprisingly cold hardy, but is really only marginally tolerant of the Phoenix heat and needs absolute full protection from direct desert sunshine. In the right spot and with great care and attention, it will cover the ground and its foliage will color a rich purple during the winter months when the weather cools.

Light: In Phoenix, full shade conditions are essential, except if grown as a winter annual. In contrast, full sun in coastal California and partial to filtered sun at higher elevation landscapes in Arizona such as in Prescott, Payson, Sedona or Flagstaff.

Soil: Soils MUST be organically amended and evenly moist! Prefers slightly acidic soil, so additions of peat moss or other acidic, composted materials as a soil amendment are strongly suggested for alkaline desert soils.

Watering: Regular water must be provided to keep soil moist.

Pruning: None, except to divide and separate crowded mats of vegetation every 3 to 4 years (i.e. thin the herd!).

Propagation: Asexual division of stolons (commercially most common) and seed.

Disease and Pests: Crown rot is a problem if soil is not well drained (very important as soil must also be evenly moist!). Otherwise, weed encroachment can be highly problematic.

Additional comments: Common bugle is at best only marginally hardy in Phoenix or Tucson because of the summer desert heat. If used in the lower desert Southwest (aka Phoenix or Tucson) it MUST be in full shade with a heavily organic amended, well-drained soil. In Arizona, common bugle is better suited for landscapes in the Prescott, Flagstaff, Payson, Sedona, or the Pinetop-Show Low areas. It is reported to be deer resistant. But is it javelina resistant? That's the real question for Phoenicians. Ajuga reptans has a myriad of cultivars having various leaf sizes and colors including variegated forms. Rose or white-flowering cultivars exist also.

Biomedical tidbits: Common bugle has some medicinal properties and herbal uses and pharmacological techniques for commercial extraction are currently being assessed.