Feathered Friends™ Petite Parakeet Ajuga

Light Needs

Full Shade to Partial Shade

(0 - 4 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

6-11 Inches

Mature Spread

6-18 Inches

Growing Zones

4 to 9

Feathered Friends ‘Petite Parakeet’ Ajuga is a new bugleweed with unique gold-tones on small leaves. From a distance, the groundcover will really pop from its shady location. Look up close and you’ll see an orange flush to the leaves, plus tiny veins, on an evergreen plant. As a bonus, tiny cobalt blue flowers appear in spring. The ajuga packs a lot of interest into a spreading plant that grows only 4 to 6 inches high. 

One reason gardeners love ajuga is that it can grow in those otherwise tough-to-fill spots, where the ground gets more shade than sun. Another reason is that they grow low and wide, eventually spreading to cover the ground, keeping color on top all year long and helping to keep weed sprouting down. Bugleweed also is deer resistant and easy to care for. Plant this tiny-leafed one near a shady patio or entry, up against the north side of a home, or in a shady bed. The tiny, bright gold leaves will complement the dark hues of heuchera and the large leaves of hostas.

Feathered Friends ‘Petite Parakeet’ Ajuga Care

Choose a spot where you can enjoy Petite Parakeet’s color but where no more than 6 hours of sun hit the ground each day. In zones 4 through 9, place the bugleweed where it gets as few as zero hours of sun a day. Although it’s short, the plant can spread between 9 and 18 inches, so when using these as a border, leave space between plants so they can grow. Fill the bare spots with a layer of organic mulch to help keep weeds down and hold some water in until the ajugas mature.

Feel free to fertilizer your ajuga in spring and give it moderate, consistent water. Once established, it can handle some dry periods, but be sure to check its moisture during peak heat and drought. Water ajuga at ground level, and avoid spraying the leaves with sprinkler irrigation. You only need to cut the plant back a few inches after the flowers fade and then divide the plant every few years if it is matted and crowded. 

Feathered Friends ‘Petite Parakeet’ Ajuga Spacing

Space your ajuga plants at least 9 to 18 inches apart to give them room to spread. If you plant them too close together, they might not get enough for air circulation and will need dividing more often.