Rarely used today, this was once known as Carpenters Herb for its ability to stop bleeding. It is a low growing perennial with a purple flower and provides ground cover for shady areas. 9x9cm pot (8cm depth)
Description
- Low growing ground cover
- Likes shaded areas
- Long flowering period
- Leaves stay green through winter
A European native, there are now several different types of bugle, with a variety of leaf colour which provide some lovely ground cover.
Plant Care
- Height: Creeping
- Type: Hardy
- Aspect: Shade
- Soil: Any/alkaline
- Flower colour: Purple
- Flowering period: May - June
If you are looking for a fairly fast growing plant to give some ground cover, bugle is a good choice. It spreads via runners and forms a mat that smothers out weeds and provides colour all year round. It prefers to grow in shady positions, but will tolerate sunshine though it grows more slowly. It likes a rich soil that doesn't dry out too much in summer and once established requires little care other than to admire the pretty purple flowers in early summer. Bugle can be split to provide new plants for other locations or to give to friends.
Usage
The leaves of bugle were used traditionally as a cure all and wound herb to stop bleeding, and were collected and prepared for internal and external use in herbal infusions, wines or balms. However its use has waned in modern herbalism and it is used now as a bee loving garden perennial.