New Ajugas, New Colors

It is freezing outside. The wind is moaning like a banshee with a hangover. And I am indoors, fireside, with a cat on my feet and a lap full of nursery catalogs. It’s always fun to see the year’s newest seed and plant introductions and to read all the descriptions. A catalog from a seed company in South Carolina. has a whopping 184 entries for tomatoes. How can growers find 184 different ways to describe a tomato? And yet, they do.

Among the new plants for 2021 is an entire series of Ajuga reptans. ‘Feathered Friends’ encompasses seven new cultivars with golden, bronze or almost-black leaves. My heart beat a little faster when I saw Ajuga ‘Noble Nightingale.’ Some interior decorators recommend a touch of black in each room. A touch of black or almost black can elevate a so-so container combination to wow. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') has been my go-to plant for containers, but ‘Noble Nightingale’ is only four inches tall, with a spread up to 18 inches. I can envision it with Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ and something pink — Begonias or Caladiums. ‘Cordial Canary’ has golden yellow foliage, unlike any other Ajuga. ‘Parrot Paradise’ has leaves with shades of yellow, orange and red. From a distance, it reads as bronze.

Ajuga (common name is Bugleweed or Carpetweed) is easily grown in partial sun or shade. It will tolerate some drought. Blue flowers are a bonus. These undemanding groundcovers spread quickly, giving rise to some gardeners’ assessment of the plant as invasive. (It is a member of the mint family). It will grow and even thrive in many situations where other plants, including grass, won’t grow such as deep shade, dry soil, or under Black Walnut trees. It will tolerate minor foot traffic. Plants can be so vigorous that congested areas die. Prevent this by division. Ajuga is resistant to damage from deer and rabbits. Other than dieback from congestions, their only problem is root-rot when placed in wet soils.

The Mary Snoddy garden features ‘Burgundy Glow’ and ‘Black Scallop’ but these new cultivars are alluring. The above-mentioned ‘Feathered Friends’ is offered exclusively by Mast Young Plants. Here is a link to their site, so you can see photos of these beautiful new foliage colors: Ajugas

This photo of Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ was taken February 3, proving that this groundcover for shade can look as good in mid-winter as it does during the warmer months. The almost-black foliage looks wonderful when paired with chartreuse, such as Lysimachia aurea, “Creeping Jenny” or rose shades, such as a bronze-leaf wax begonia with pink flowers..

Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’ lights up a dark area.

A planting of Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ along a walkway at Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve. (Photographer is unknown, unfortunately.) The shiny, rounded leaves offer beautiful contrast to the delicate fern fronds and the rough granite stones.

A new planting of ‘Black Scallop’ Ajuga pops against the chartreuse foliage of Talinum (“Jewels of Opar” and the rounded leaves of several Hostas. It will eventually spread to cover all the pine needle mulch.

Red and Green Groundcovers

Mother Nature is celebrating the holiday season by decorating with red and green. On a walk through the woods , you might spot Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) or American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Both these groundcovers have deep green leaves, white blooms in late spring/early summer, and red berries in fall/winter.

American Wintergreen, also known as Boxberry, Checkerberry or Eastern Teaberry, is a woody, evergreen, mat-like groundcover. It has tiny white flowers that are shaped like smooth urns. In fall and winter, bright red berries, about the same size as a single Nandina berry, contrast attractively with the deep green foliage. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceous family It prefers poor, acidic soils and the company of hardwood trees. The white or pale pink blooms are shaped like upright cups. Flowers are mildly fragrant, but one almost needs to be on hands and knees to catch the scent.

Partridgeberry is commonly called Twinflower because its blooms are held in pairs. Partridgeberry has two distinctly different types of blooms. One has a long pistil and four short stamens. The other is exactly the opposite: one short pistil and four long stamens. A very close look (think magnifying glass or at least a good pair of reading glasses) at the Partridgeberry bloom reveals its fuzzy appearance. It produces a beautiful red berry similar to Wintergreen. When squeezed, the Partridgeberry fruit will separate into two parts; the Winterberry remains solid.

Both Wintergreen and Partridgeberry are found across most of the eastern United States. They thrive in shady woodlands. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to crush a leaf or sample taste a berry. Wintergreen has the distinctive scent and taste of, well, wintergreen. Partridgeberry leaves have no scent and the fruit is tasteless. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the Partridgeberry leaf has a lighter vein running the from stem to tip. Wintergreen does not have this noticeable feature.

Both these plants grow only a few inches tall, but spread indefinitely to form a  gorgeous carpet for the forest floor. They are frequently found growing shoulder to shoulder in zones 3 through 7. Partridgeberry tolerates more heat; its growth area extends to zone 8. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries.

Red berries rest atop the dark green leaves of Mitchella repans like Nature’s Christmas ornaments

The twosome flowers of Mitchella repans illustrates one of its common names, Twinflower. A persistent berry from last year is visible in the 12 o’clock position.