Ajuga (genus, bugleweed)

Japanese name: アジュガ
Scientific name: Ajuga

[Overview]
Some send out long runners or creeping stems from the base of the plant and spread in a mat; it is usually a perennial.
In addition to young plants forming at the tips of the creeping stems, roots also develop from the nodes.
The leaves are borne in a rosette, and the leaf margins are serrated, notched or toothed.
The leaves at the base of the flowers often become bract-like.
The flowers are borne in the leaf axils or in spikes at the stem tips.
The flowers are lipped; the upper lip is 2-lobed, and the lower lip is 3-lobed with a large middle lobe.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division.
Grow it in a sunny to partially shaded place with soil rich in humus, well drained and well aerated.
It prefers a somewhat humid, cool place.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil dries.
In spring to early summer, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil around the plant, or apply liquid fertilizer.
Excessive fertilizer makes it leggy and weak.
Damping-off and aphids can occur.
Damping-off occurs readily when drainage is poor.

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