Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate Chip'
Got a dozen plants at Lowe's in summer 2018Another 6 from Wayside gardens in spring 2020 to add to the bare spots
Photos
Expectations:
These were spectacular in my former garden and they are sold here as a well adapted ground cover for Santa Fe.
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| In CT in May |
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| Foliage after flowering in my old garden |
I wanted a woodsy, naturalistic ground level planting using shimmery, translucent epimediums at first, but they wouldn't grow here. I saw bugleweed sold everywhere in Santa Fe, and after the epimediums immediately failed, I decided to try ajuga.
I wanted bright flower color and rich foliage spread amid the dark rocks under the pine.
Experiences:
Originally I planted 12 starts along the edge of the portal where there is shade under the pine in the afternoons.
As long as I watered well, they were glossy and deep colored and sent up flower spikes. I took the rocks away from around each plant and filled in with some soil to let them do their expansion thing. With the soil exposed I needed to keep them very wet. Boy, these wanted moisture.
And they struggled, looking terrible and diminishing into nothing. I bought more to fill empty spots, and those diminished.
As long as I watered well, they were glossy and deep colored and sent up flower spikes. I took the rocks away from around each plant and filled in with some soil to let them do their expansion thing. With the soil exposed I needed to keep them very wet. Boy, these wanted moisture.
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| May 13, 2021 |
Finally in summer 2020 I removed almost all of the large patch, keeping just a few in the sunnier corner furthest from the pine tree.
One plant there did well even in sun, but all the others were high maintenance just to keep them alive.
A tiny patch but impactful, finally spreading out and merging and the foliage started to look good too.
But in 2021 it looked so much better, nicely blooming in May and very vivid and full.
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| May 2023 |
They are not quite as smothered by pine needles at this corner, and maybe are a bit further away from direct root competition.
I need to remember it looks patchy and thin in April. May is its season. Pine needles cover the foliage pretty thickly at first.
The foliage after blooming is a green mat, none of the rich coloration I had in CT, but with irrigation and some watering and fertilizing it looks okay.