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Feathered Friends™ 'Tropical Toucan' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

Perennial

5 total reviews

  • The first big-leaved golden bugleweed!
  • Large wavy leaves add color and texture.
  • An ideal low-growing ground cover.
  • Low maintenance and easy to grow.
  • Zones 4-9, part sun/shade, 4" tall x 18" wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT
Size: One Quart
Regular price $22.00
Sale price $22.00 Regular price
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Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
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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

Feathered Friends™ ‘Tropical Toucan’ Bugleweed (Ajuga) is the first of its kind: a big-leaved golden bugleweed! The large leaves boast golden hues all year long, even in the winter. The wavy foliage is accompanied by cobalt-blue flowers in the summer. This vigorous ground cover quickly grows as a thick mat, suppressing weeds along the way. The Feathered Friends™ series offers winter hardy bugleweeds that provide year-round color. They're low maintenance and grow happily nearly anywhere they are planted, including beneath trees, in containers, or on banks and slopes. Partner them with other colorful foliage plants for a multi-seasonal, vibrant display! Developed by plant breeder extraordinaire (and Great Garden Plants co-founder) Chris Hansen in west Michigan.

Details

Botanical name: Ajuga 'Tropical Toucan'
Common name: Bugleweed, carpet bugle, bugle, ground pine, carpenter's herb
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Part sun (4-6 hours sun), shade (< 4 hours sun)
Height x width: 4" x 18"
Flower color: Cobalt blue
Foliage color: Gold
Season of interest: Spring through fall
Bloom time:Summer
Features:Rare & unusual, rabbit resistant, heat tolerant, ground covers, drought tolerant, deer resistant, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Container gardening, edging, ground cover, rock garden, stepping stones, small spaces, slopes

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 part sun or shade, but the best foliage color usually occurs in part sun.
Water: Easily grown in average soils.
Spacing: Space plants 6-9" apart, but be careful not to plant too deep. Soil should never cover the crown, 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.
groundcover great for suppressing weeds

Ground Covers for Suppressing Weeds

Ground covers effortlessly fill those tough-to-grow sites that are usually ignored, like tight spaces, gaps between stepping stones, slopes, or shady understories. Fight plants with plants and transform your garden into a lush landscape in the process with these ground covers.

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.

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