{"product_id":"ajuga-reptans-black-scallop","title":"Ajuga reptans Black Scallop","description":"\u003cp\u003e(PP 15,815 expired) Ajuga 'Black Scallop' is a superb and colorful evergreen groundcover that exists thanks to \u003ca title=\"Opens Tristram Plants Nursery in new tab\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tristramplants.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUK nurseryman Mike Tristam\u003c\/a\u003e, who found it as a tissue culture mutation in a batch of Ajuga reptans 'Braunherz'. Black Scallop bugleweed acts like a typical ploidy mutant (additional sets of chromosomes) with larger, darker purple leaves and flowers than its parent, as well as better disease tolerance. The heat-tolerant dense mat of crinkled, glossy purple foliage is topped in late spring with stunning stalks of blue-purple flowers. Ajuga seeding around is a terrible problem for us with some cultivars, but we have never encountered a single seedling. Tired of mulching? Put this attractive ajuga to work in your garden as a living mulch. Average to slightly moist soils are best.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch3\u003eMaintenance:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAjuga is a maintenance free perennial. Planted in the right conditions, it should never need any maintenance. This ajuga selection forms larger clumps instead of spreading like many more common ajugas, making it a much better behaved plant in the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eGrowing Conditions:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e'Black Scallop' bugleweed prefers a slightly moist soil, but one which drains well. It can handle a significant drought as long as it doesn't last extremely long. We prefer to plant ajugas in full sun, although they are fairly tolerant of dry, open light shade. If soils become waterlogged, either in summer or winter, plants can rot, so the key is to give it the correct conditions. Good air movement also helps both the soil and foliage dry out quicker after precipitation.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGarden Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bugleweed is great for creating color contrasts in the garden without impacting the growth of plants growing around it. The dark purple color remains vivid throughout the entire season.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Impact:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Ajuga\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/ajuga\"\u003eAjuga\u003c\/a\u003e are pollinated in spring by bees.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":6354589057063,"sku":"13515","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Ajuga-reptans-Black-Scallop.i-13515.s-66895.r-1_d151d81c-7f13-475b-a204-d8f304f8913f.jpg?v=1790263223","url":"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/products\/ajuga-reptans-black-scallop","provider":"Plant Delights Nursery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}