True to her name, Caitlin's Giant is much larger than other Ajuga (commonly called Bugleweed) and she does not disappoint.
If you are looking for a low-maintenance,
rapidly spreading
ground cover that promises constant pops of colorful foliage and beautiful flowers that beckon
butterflies,
you'll want to take a good look at Caitlin's Giant.
She tends toward
clumping
until her root system is fully established at which point she takes off spreading and covering your garden with low rosettes of large,
variegated
purple-bronze foliage. Arriving in early spring, her deep
blue-purple
flower spikes climb between 8-10 inches and continue their show into early summer.
Though Caitlin's Giant loves
full shade,
given an average, medium wet, well-drained soil, and at least a bit of shade in southern zones, Caitlin will thrive.
And the bottom line is that gardeners just can't resist the constant color of her large foliage.
General information about Ajuga (Bugleweed):
Ajuga reptans (commonly called Bugleweed) is noted for her striking range of foliage, colors, and textures. In mass plantings, the blanket of blue flowers is simply stunning. Because of her attractive tri-color foliage and spikes of blue flowers in spring, she is a frequent choice for planting under roses. A superb
weed-suppressant,
Ajuga creates a mat of semi-evergreen to
evergreen,
foliage that remains attractive all year round. She is also sought out because it is one of the few groundcovers that will grow
under walnut trees.
Growing Ajuga under trees offers gardeners who prefer not to mow under them because of the danger of large root systems a lovely solution to covering their ground. Because Ajuga will grow in shady areas, she is a terrific option for spots where grasses often fail to thrive. This makes her a perfect choice to replace turf grass, and even for growth on banks, slopes, and under shrubs. This is a plant most gardeners won’t do without.
Things to Note
The foliage color will be less vibrant in areas with no direct sunlight. For example, the Black Scallop and Bronze Beauty will be greener and the Burgundy Glow will have less burgundy.
Be aware that
variegated
cultivars such as Black Scallop are hybridized or
sports
and occasionally she will
revert.
Watch out for any emerging green shoots. Immediately weed any such shoots out since they are much more vigorous than the variegated plant and will take over the clump.
Speaking of foliage, keep in mind that the more direct sun Ajuga receives the more depth of color her foliage maintains. Plants such as Black Scallop or Bronze Beauty will become more green and Burgundy Glow will be less burgundy with less sunlight.
Interesting Fact
The leaves and young shoots of Ajuga cultivars are
edible
(but a bit bitter) and add contrasting color to salads.
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04/28/2017 Update Classy had a couple dozen beautiful ajuga plants sent to us. They were securely wrapped and upon arrival showed no shipping damage at all. We have had a lot of rain lately so I have left them as they arrived and there is no damage. Plants... Read full review > |
07/19/2016 Update My plants arrived while I was out of town and my husband was able to keep them watered. They look great and are very healthy. I am also impressed with the customer service in that two employees contacted me via phone and email to ensure... Read full review > |
06/21/2016 Update The plants looked not so great when i unpacked and planted them. Five weeks later, i am happily amazed at how fast they've grown and how healthy and shiny they look.
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06/15/2016 Update We were very happy with our Bugleweed order. They came quickly and were very healthy looking as we unpacked them. The plants are doing quite well so far.
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04/27/2016 Update Purchased 24 "Catlin's Giant" potted plants. All appeared to be very healthy. Put them in the ground within a few days and waiting to see how they take.
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If you are more than a one-day ship away, we do not recommend shipping this plant during the heat of summer (July-August). Although our shipments are expedited (at most three days in transit), this plant tends to suffer more than average plants when shipped during hot weather (sometimes melting into mush).
You may order them, but understand that we will not replace or refund should any perish.
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You may specify a future ship date when you checkout.
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- Classy Groundcovers offers free shipping, and your plants never spend more than three days in transit.
Precise delivery - another benefit from shopping with us is that you know
how many days delivery will take and
can control exactly
when your order will be shipped.
Shipping information that applies to all plants:
- Transit Time For Your Shipment (at most 3 days)
- When We Ship
- You May Specify Your Shipping Date
- Lookup Shipping Date and Tracking Information
- Special Delivery Instructions
- No Shipments To: AK, AZ, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA or internationally
- Changing Your Shipping Date
- Accepting Delivery
- Unpacking Your Order
- Returns
If desired, in order to rejuvenate the foliage, cut it back to the ground after flowering. Mow large areas of bugleweed with a lawn mower; however, in small patches, trim plants back with pruning shears or a weed trimmer. Does well in full shade, but its best foliage color is in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day).
Tolerates full sun in southern zones with ample moisture. Prefers loamy, well-drained soil but tolerates moderately dry ones. Avoid situations where it is wet for extended periods.
Do not plant Ajuga too deep, the very top of the root is best left above soil level.
Do not overwater, let the top 2" of soil dry out before watering. Do not let it stay bone dry for extended periods, but Ajuga likes air to reach their roots and too much water hampers that.
In areas where spreading is not desired, trim back the runners before they take root or prune ruthlessly once a year. Requires good drainage.
General information that applies to all plants:
- Ground preparation, fertilization, pH
- Planting instructions
- Explanation and description of bare roots
- How to plant bare root plants
- If you cannot plant bare roots right away
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Full sun 
Part sun 
Shade
