Ajuga, Chocolate Chip Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate Chip' Plant Height: 4 inches Flower Height: 6 inches Spread: 18 inches
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Hardiness Zone: 4a Other Names: Carpet Bugle Brand: Proven Winners Description: A beautiful evergreen, dwarf variety that presents delicious chocolate brown foliage and pretty blue flower spikes during late spring; low growing with a spreading habit, ideal for beds with afternoon shade and containers. Ornamental Features Ajuga, Chocolate Chip's attractive tiny narrow leaves emerge dark green in spring, turning dark brown in color the rest of the year on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. It features subtle spikes of blue flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late spring. Landscape Attributes Ajuga, Chocolate Chip is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration; Ajuga, Chocolate Chip is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Ajuga, Chocolate Chip will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity extending to 6 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round. This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation. Ajuga, Chocolate Chip is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Special Attributes Low maintenance and heat tolerant but grows best in shade from 11 am to 7 pm in the summer to be its best.
