Description of Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate'

Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate' is a bugle cultivar with dark leaves that stay low and spread into a mat. It’s useful around the upper edge of a bog garden where soil is damp but not permanently flooded.

Appearance

It forms tight rosettes of deep brown to bronze leaves and sends up short spikes of blue flowers in spring. It stays around 5 to 15cm tall and spreads by runners.

Care Guide

It likes moisture and light shade to sun. In deep shade it can thin out.

• Sun: Part shade is easiest. Sun is fine if soil stays moist.
• Soil: Moist soil with organic matter.
• Water: Keep damp, especially while it establishes.
• Control: Trim runners to keep it in bounds.
• Refresh: Lift and replant rosettes if the centre gets bare.

It’s a good gap filler between stepping stones, where it can take light foot traffic.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens as a ground cover for the drier rim and around pots. It’s not ideal for the saturated centre.

Use it to suppress weeds and give a dark foliage contrast to bright spring flowers.

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