{"product_id":"ajuga-catlins-giant-plants","title":"Ajuga Catlins Giant","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Catlin's Giant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLatin name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant'\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Herbaceous perennial (semi-evergreen groundcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue-purple spikes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large, glossy bronze-purple leaves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15cm (6in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpread:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90cm+ (3ft+)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering:\u003c\/strong\u003e April–June\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully Hardy (H7)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePruning:\u003c\/strong\u003e None required — remove runner colonies if spreading beyond bounds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRHS AGM:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes (1993)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pot-grown plants\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant outdoors:\u003c\/strong\u003e Any time the ground is not frozen or waterlogged\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivered:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and summer. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/collect-your-order-from-castle-cary\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCollection from Castle Cary\u003c\/a\u003e also available.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCatlin's Giant is the most striking bugle in common cultivation — the same flowering spikes of rich violet-blue as the common species, but with leaves three or four times the size and a bronze-purple colouring that earns its place in the garden all year round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAjuga Catlin's Giant – Large in All the Right Ways\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAjuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' earned its Award of Garden Merit in 1993 and has kept it comfortably since. It spreads by surface runners, which is exactly what you want from a groundcover — give it a shaded bank, a difficult strip under trees, or the edge of a border that nothing else colonises happily, and it will do the job without complaint. The flower spikes appear in April and run through to June, reaching perhaps 15–20cm above the foliage mat and carrying dense whorls of true blue-purple flowers that are genuinely useful to early bumblebees. The foliage is semi-evergreen, so you get bronze-purple leaves through winter too, which is rather a bonus. The AGM is well deserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe difference between Catlin's Giant and the ordinary species is not subtle. The leaves are roughly three times larger — up to 10–12cm long — and the bronze colouring is stronger and more consistent. In a shady corner where the usual ajuga would form a modest mat, Catlin's Giant fills the space with something that looks properly architectural. It grows willingly in most soils, including the dry shade under mature trees that defeats most perennials, though it does best where the soil retains some moisture. Absolutely no need to coddle it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCompanions for Catlin's Giant\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a shade border that earns its keep across all four seasons, try Catlin's Giant alongside \u003ca href=\"\/products\/alchemilla-erythropoda-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlchemilla erythropoda\u003c\/a\u003e, whose acid-yellow flower clouds in early summer complement the blue spikes without competing. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/astilbe-pumila-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAstilbe Pumila\u003c\/a\u003e follows later with lilac-purple plumes and appreciates the same moist conditions. From the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/heuchera-coral-bells-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eheuchera range\u003c\/a\u003e, any of the darker-leaved varieties plays well with Catlin's Giant — the bronze-purple foliage echoes and amplifies. For genuine year-round interest in shade, the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hosta-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehosta collection\u003c\/a\u003e pairs beautifully, with bold contrasting leaves rising above the mat of ajuga from May onwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Ashridge?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe use peat-free compost and biological pest controls. Catlin's Giant is one of those plants that asks very little and gives a great deal — we are always happy to be stocking it. The people who grow your plants are the same people who pack your order and answer your questions. And every plant is guaranteed. See the full \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/perennial-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eperennial collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Ajuga Catlin's Giant invasive?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVigorous rather than invasive. It spreads by surface runners which are easy to see and remove — just lift and compost any colonies that stray where they're not wanted. In a confined bed it will need occasional editing; in a large shaded area it's exactly what you'd want it to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I grow Ajuga Catlin's Giant in full sun?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt tolerates sun if the soil stays reasonably moist, but the foliage colours best and the plant performs most reliably in part or full shade. Full sun in dry soil leads to scorched leaf edges and poor spread. Use shade as the default.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between Catlin's Giant and ordinary Ajuga reptans?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize, primarily. Catlin's Giant has leaves roughly three times larger than the straight species, with stronger bronze-purple colouring. The flowers are the same blue-purple, but the overall presence in the garden is far more substantial. The AGM belongs to Catlin's Giant specifically — not to the species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Ajuga Catlin's Giant deer and rabbit resistant?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenerally yes. The leathery foliage and low spreading habit make it unappealing to most browsing animals. We would not class it as entirely deer-proof — no plant truly is — but it is a sensible choice for gardens with deer pressure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Ajuga Catlin's Giant suitable for growing under trees?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, and this is one of its best uses. It tolerates dry shade once established — a situation that defeats many perennials. The main requirement under dense canopy is adequate moisture in the first growing season while it gets its roots down. After that, it largely looks after itself.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ashridge Nurseries","offers":[{"title":"Potted \/ P9","offer_id":56371952550214,"sku":"PEREAJUREPCAGI-P9","price":7.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/ajuga-catlins-giant-blue-flowers.webp?v=1776342468","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/ajuga-catlins-giant-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}