Close-up on the blue blooms and near-black foliage of Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Close-up of the textured black/green foliage of Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Black Scallop Bugelweed with glossy dark foliage in a container.
Black Scallop Bugleweed planted in a garden with other plants.
Black Scallop Bugleweed with blue flowers and near-black foliage planted in small rocks.
Close-up of the stunning glossy black foliage on Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Close-up of the bright blue flower spikes on Black Scallop Bugleweed.
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Close-up on the blue blooms and near-black foliage of Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Close-up of the textured black/green foliage of Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Black Scallop Bugelweed with glossy dark foliage in a container.
Black Scallop Bugleweed planted in a garden with other plants.
Black Scallop Bugleweed with blue flowers and near-black foliage planted in small rocks.
Close-up of the stunning glossy black foliage on Black Scallop Bugleweed.
Close-up of the bright blue flower spikes on Black Scallop Bugleweed.
All media depicts mature plants.

'Black Scallop' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

Perennial

  • Adds bold color with near-black foliage!
  • Abundant blue flowers bloom in late spring.
  • Resistant to deer, insects, and disease.
  • Durable and low maintenance, no green thumbs required!
  • Zones 3-9, sun/part sun/shade, 3″ tall x 12″ wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • Low heightHEIGHT

More info on plant sizes

Size: One Quart
$22.00
Sale: $22.00 Each
Total: $22.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Black Scallop Bugleweed (Ajuga) ground cover brings unique texture and colors to your garden with crinkled, near-black leaves. During cooler weather, they turn quite dark and may lighten up somewhat during the heat of summer. Spikes of bright blue flowers add an extra pop of color as they bloom in the late spring and early summer.  This ground cover grows as a thick mat, suppressing weeds and leaving garden maintenance a breeze! Thankfully, deer aren't as fond of this plant as we are, so no need to worry about excessive deer damage. This carpet bugleweed plant will look perfect nearly anywhere it's planted, including beneath trees, in containers, or on banks and slopes. It grows well under sun, part-sun, and shade. For the darkest leaves, make sure it gets a few hours of sun!

Details

Botanical name: Ajuga 'Black Scallop'
Patent #: USPP 15,815
Common name: Bugleweed, carpet bugle, bugle, ground pine, carpenter's herb
Zone: 3-9
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun), part-sun (4-6 hours sun), shade (< 4 hours sun)
Soil type: Average
Soil moisture: Average
Height x width: 3" x 12"
Flower color: Blue
Foliage color: Near-black
Season of interest: Late spring
Bloom time: Spring, summer
Features: Rabbit resistant, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, ground covers, deer resistant, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Container gardening, edging, ground cover, rock garden, small spaces, erosion control, fire-scaping, woodland garden

How to Grow

Soil: Prefers moist soils with good drainage but tolerates moderately dry conditions.  Favors acidic soils with a pH in the range of 3.7 to 6.5.
Light: Will grow in full sun or shade, but the best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day).
Water: Easily grown in average soils.
Spacing: Space plants 6-9" apart, but be careful to not plant too deep. The crown should never be covered with soil, or the plant may rot.
Fertilizing: Ajugas seldom need fertilizing. Over-fertilizing can encourage crown rot.
Winterizing: No specific care is needed.
Maintenance & pruning: Every couple of years, thin out crowded groupings to reduce the chance of crown rot. Pruning is not required but can be done to rejuvenate foliage after flowering. Larger plantings may be mowed if they become unruly. Plants can be propagated by dividing established clumps in the fall or early spring.
groundcover great for suppressing weeds

Ground Covers for Suppressing Weeds

Fight plants with plants and transform your garden into a lush landscape in the process.

Learn More

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 18 (86%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 2 (10%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 1 (5%)
G
G.L. (Kansas)
Ajuga

Very healthy plants. Looking forward to seeing them in bloom.

A
A.G.

Great quality

E
E.C.

This plant came in good conditions.

L
L.G. (Ohio)
Love my Ajuga

I used to have some many years ago. Finally bought some for our latest home. I love it. Growing very well.

Z
Z.7.V. (Virginia)
Disappointed in Zone 7b/8a Virginia

I ordered 12. They arrived quickly after my order was placed. When removing them from the pot, I noticed a majority of the roots were black and mushy, but I took a chance anyway. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of the roots and asked customer service about it. So far 4 have died (not all at once). I planted these in groups of 3 in 4 different places in my garden to see which location works best. So disappointing since these are known to be resilient plants. I really hope the remaining 8 survive, although it doesn't look promising. Each time a plant died, I contacted customer service and was refunded my money. Thank you for the hassle-free guarantee! Fingers crossed I don't have to contact them again for these remaining ajugas.

We’re sorry you’re having trouble with your plants! Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2025, so we have you covered. Please send your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee

R
R.F. (New York)
An unusual disappontment

I have ordered a recd many great plants from you; but these arrived stressed. I put them in the ground, but we are thinking hospice, unfortunately.

H
H.M. (Tennessee)
Weed Appeal

Black Scallop Bugleweed, Ajuga, has great color and were very healthy right out of the box. They are exactly what I envisioned them to be.

D
D.O.

No flowers yet but at least the leaves did not die.

M
M.R.

Very healthy plants!

j
j.c. (New York)
Good online plant delivery

I was very pleased with my purchase of perennials. I was also thrilled that they came packaged well and exactly as described. I would order from this company again.

T
T.L. (Delaware)
Bugleweed

My landscaping project was delayed and a number of plants were very unhappy sitting in their small containers waiting to be planted. Once I got the bugleweed in the ground it took off! I can't get over how amazing it looks with the very dark leaves. It immediately produced beautiful blue flowers. Very happy with this little plant and will get more for other areas of my garden.

S
S.L. (Massachusetts)
Black scallop Bugleweed Thrives

My plants are thriving. I planted them a few weeks ago, and they are growing already. They package the plants extraordinarily well, and give good planting instructions

D
D.W. (Minnesota)

'Black Scallop' Bugleweed

E
E.B. (North Carolina)
Beautiful & Healthy

These plants are stunning, and they started to grow and spread immediately after they were planted. Very pleased!

F
F.P. (Mississippi)
Azalea

The black scallops are doing pretty well however, only one of the azaleas lived and all were planted and watered the same

M
M.H. (Washington)
'Black Scallop' Bugleweed

Plants were so big! All survived and are thriving.

C
C.H. (Maryland)
Bugleweed

First, the plants arrived in perfect condition and ready to plant which is something I really like. I created a new flower bed and wanted something low lying to use as a border in front. While nothing else bloomed much this year, the bugleweed took off and began spreading within a month. I am very pleased and would certainly recommend Great Garden Plants to anyone. I may need to order some flowers and shrubs in the future to fill up my flower bed!

P
P.L. (Wisconsin)

The plants arrived healthy and continued healthy in the ground.

A
A. (Maryland)
Great groundcover

Beautiful groundcover, very healthy, growing well, love it.

P
P.K. (Pennsylvania)
Amazing

It was delivered in great condition.

K
K.D. (Pennsylvania)
The best mail order

The plants were healthy. They are thriving.

B
B.

Will this grow on the North side in full shade in Northern Minneota

Great Garden Plants

Hi there! 'Black Scallop' Bugleweed grows in a variety of lighting conditions, but the best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations.

G
G.T.

Will this plant survive the cold winter and return in the spring

Great Garden Plants

Yes, it will as long as you reside in USDA zone 3 or warmer.

D
D.W.

Brought a several last year. They look like they are all dead. Will they come back?

Great Garden Plants

Probably! It's hard to say because I'm not sure what the weather is like in your area. Here is Michigan, it's too early to see them grow again.

D
D.P.

We just planted your arborvitaes. Can I plant this ground cover around the trees?
The arborvitaes are beautiful thank you.

Great Garden Plants

Yes, you can! They might need a bit more extra water and monitoring to get established, but they will do well as a ground cover under arborvitae.

M
M.A.A.

Could you send me a picture. & name list of what I ordered .I place 3 different orders

Great Garden Plants

Yes, we will send this to your email address on file. Also, if you created an account on our site, you can log in any time and see your past orders.