Feathered Friends™ Tropical Toucan 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

Ajuga, or bugleweed, is a beloved groundcover in most U.S. climates (zones 4 through 9). Feathered Friends ‘Tropical Toucan’ Ajuga is the first bugleweed to feature large leaves with a bright gold color. Picture this striking plant growing around green and dark-leaved shade lovers like Heuchera or Hosta. The contrast, coupled with a height of only 4 to 6 inches, can be striking. Plus, ajuga is a perennial plant, so you can enjoy that color all year long.

To get golds in the landscape often requires sun-loving flowers or waiting for fall changes to leaf colors. Not so with Tropical Toucan, which will produce the golden leaves against beautiful red stems with no sun at all. The plant can take up to about 6 hours of sun a day and still thrive.  Tiny cobalt blue blooms also appear in spring above the yellow-gold leaves. The groundcover spreads from 9 to 18 inches, eventually filling in a garden area and suppressing weeds. By the way, deer will leave this bugleweed be.

Feathered Friends ‘Tropical Toucan’ Ajuga Care

Start by finding a shady spot in your landscape. In warmer zones, try to avoid hot afternoon sun on your ajuga. Otherwise, keep it in full shade to part shade and it will be happy. Choose soil that drains well and then space the plants far enough apart that they will not crowd one another. Mulch around the ajuga after planting to keep the soil moist and help keep competing weeds away until the plant spreads to full size.

Ajugas need regular, moderate watering, but should not sit in soggy soil. Be sure to water under the leaves instead of spraying water directly on the foliage. Add fertilizer each spring to get the main growth period started. Prune bugleweed back a few inches after its flowers fade. Other than that, the only care the plant needs is occasional division if it grows too tightly together so that air is not reaching the ground and roots.

Feathered Friends ‘Tropical Toucan’ Ajuga Spacing

Place your ajuga plants at least 9 inches apart and up to nearly 18 inches from each other or from other plants in a bed. This gives it room to spread and breathe.