Carpet Bugle

Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant') is the groundcover to reach for when you want a bed floor that suppresses weeds and still looks deliberate. It runs to about 30cm high and 80cm across, with large bronze purple leaves that hold their colour year round, and in spring it throws up tall spikes of blue flowers. It spreads fast enough to close a bed in a season.

Why you'll love it

• It closes gaps quickly. Runners root as they go, so a planting at 30cm spacing knits into a continuous carpet within a season.
• Foliage that earns its place. The leaves are much larger than common ajuga and stay bronze purple, which reads well against green shrubs and pale paving.
• A real flower display. Spikes of blue to purple flowers stand above the foliage in spring and bring in bees and butterflies.
• Low maintenance and frost hardy. It takes poor soil and cold winters, and needs nothing beyond a tidy up after flowering.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for a dense carpet. Under deciduous trees and along shaded strips it does the job a lawn cannot.

Borders and edging. A single row at 30cm softens the front of a bed and holds a clean line against a path without ever needing an edger.

Pots and containers. It trails neatly over the rim of a bowl or trough, and works as the low layer under a taller potted feature.

Growing carpet bugle in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade to full shade gives the best leaf colour, while full sun is workable in cooler districts if the soil stays moist. This is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens; in the tropics it is the wrong choice.

Soil. It tolerates poor soil but rewards a bed forked over with compost. Drainage matters more than fertility, since crowns sitting in wet soil over winter can rot.

Water and feed. Keep the bed evenly moist through the first summer while the runners spread, then water in dry spells only. A light feed of complete fertiliser in early spring is enough for the year.

Pruning. Shear off the spent flower spikes once they brown, either by hand or with the mower set high. Lift and divide crowded patches every three or four years to keep the carpet even.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown: tube stock, 140mm in packs of ten, 175mm in packs of six and 200mm in packs of six. Tube stock is the value option for a large area and catches up quickly. The 175mm and 200mm plants arrive as established clumps with several crowns, which is what you want if you are planting a short edge and need it to look finished.

Foliage can look flattened after transit; it lifts within a week of planting. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the range in groundcover plants.
• Read our guide to the best ground cover plants for shade.
• Browse bee and butterfly plants to extend the spring display.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 30cm spacing you need roughly eleven plants per square metre. Stretch it to 40cm if you are patient and want to cover more ground for the same money.

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads by surface runners, so it is easy to control: pull or cut the runners at the edge once or twice a year. It will creep into a soft lawn edge if you let it.

Can I walk on it?

Only occasionally. It handles a footstep between steppers but not regular traffic, so it is a bed cover rather than a lawn substitute.