Scientific Name:
Ajuga pyramidalis
'Metallica Crispa'
Pronunciation:
uh-JOO-guh peer-uh-mid-AH-liss
Common Name:
crisp leaf carpet bugle
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Ground cover, Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal and then opposite on runners, rounded, about 1.5cm wide, wrinkled, dark green-reddish; flower petals bluish, fused at bases with two lower lobes much larger than the others.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Europe, Garden origin
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Alpine, Container planting, Erosion control, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Rock garden, Spring interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Rugose
Colour in Summer:
Green, Purple
Colour in Fall:
Green, Purple
Shapes:
Obovate, Orbicular
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Blue, Violet
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Not showy, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts, Runners (or stolons)
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Blight or needle cast, Crown rot, Fungal leaf spot, Root rot (Pest resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
