Latin name: Ajuga reptans
Common name: Bugle
Other names: Brown bugle, yellow bugle, middle consound, carpenter’s herb, bugleweed
How to spot it and where to find it: A spreading evergreen, bugle can be invasive. But in the wild, its glossy leaves and purple-blue flowers make an attractive carpet, filing in gaps between other trees and plants. Its tolerance for both light and shade, together with its attractive foliage all year round, means it is often cultivated, but it can become a problem.
Interesting facts: The word ‘reptans’ means creeping and bugle can ‘creep’ at a tremendous rate. It is part of the mint family and there are around 40 species of bugle, found primarily in Europe, Asia and Africa, but there are also two species in Australia. It spreads by…