Blue Bugle is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in damp woodland and shaded areas, to a mature height of up to 30cm.
Blue Bugle is a creeping plant, with hairy leaves and stems, which bears tall spikes of whorled flowers, interspersed with oppositely-paired purplish-brown bracts. Cultivated varieties of Blue Bugle are grown in the garden for their intense-blue flowers and colourful leaves, and to provide an evergreen ground cover.
Botanic classification and naming: Blue Bugle is a member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. The genus name
'Ajuga' identifies the plant as a Bugle and its species name 'reptans' means 'creeping plant'.
Concerns: Spreads rapidly by sending out rooting stems ('stolons'). Blue Bugle should never be taken from the wild. Removal of a plant from the wild is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).
Benefits: A spring-time food source for bees and other insects. Provides nectar for Grizzled Skipper butterflies.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
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