High Country Gardens
Silver Queen Ajuga
Best low-maintenance groundcover for gardeners seeking year-round shade-tolerant greenery.
Silver Queen Ajuga is a fast-growing perennial groundcover that forms a dense, attractive carpet of gray-green foliage, perfect for brightening shady areas, rock gardens, or containers. This low-maintenance plant spreads quickly and offers year-round interest with its evergreen leaves. In spring, it produces spikes of purple-blue flowers that attract pollinators. It's also resistant to deer and rabbits, making it a practical and beautiful addition to your garden. Thriving in well-drained soil, it adapts to various light conditions from full sun to full shade.
$11.89
Owner Satisfaction
4.7
/ 5
Category Rank
28
/ 2524
#28 in Flowers
Price vs Category Average
-71%
Below average
Life Cycle
Perennial
/ Perennial
Who it's for
- Landscapers seeking seasonal color contrast for spring gardens
- Gardeners needing to brighten dim, shaded landscape spots
- Busy homeowners wanting low-maintenance, deer-resistant groundcover
Who should skip it
- Perfectionists wanting consistent, vibrant leaf variegation year-round
- Gardeners with small beds fearing invasive plant spread
- Residents in hot, humid climates with poor soil drainage
Performance breakdown
Groundcover density
Forms a thick, lush carpet that effectively suppresses unwanted garden weeds.
Environmental adaptability
Thrives across a wide range of light conditions from deep shade.
Pest resistance
Reliably deters deer and rabbits, protecting your landscape investment from browsing.
Maintenance requirements
Requires minimal intervention once established, perfect for low-effort garden designs.
Pollinator impact
Spring blooms provide a vital early-season nectar source for local pollinators.
Year-round appeal
Evergreen foliage ensures the garden maintains structure through every changing season.
Key Specs
Life Cycle
Perennial
Watering Needs
Moderate
Sun Exposure
Full sun, part shade, full shade
Bloom Time
Spring
Fragrance Level
No Fragrance
Pet Safe
No
Growth Habit
Mounding
Mature Height
6 inches
Features
- Creates a dense, spreading carpet of foliage.
- Deer and rabbit resistant for worry-free planting.
- Provides early spring color with purple-blue flowers.
- Evergreen foliage offers year-round interest.
- Low-maintenance and easy to care for.
- Suitable for containers and rock gardens.
- Fast-growing groundcover.
- Attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.
What customers say
Customers rave about the Silver Queen Ajuga's exceptional quality and dependable performance. Reviewers consistently report receiving robust, healthy plants that establish quickly with little effort. Its reliable hardiness is a key highlight, as this groundcover thrives even in difficult shady spots, making it a low maintenance choice. Gardeners appreciate its attractive variegated foliage and effective spreading habit, confirming its value as a beautiful and trustworthy landscape plant.
Know before you buy
Silver Queen Ajuga is a fast-growing perennial that spreads through runners. You can expect it to fill in gaps relatively quickly, eventually reaching a mature spread of about 24 inches per plant.
Yes, Silver Queen Ajuga is highly adaptable and thrives in conditions ranging from full sun to full shade. It is an excellent choice for brightening up darker, shaded areas of your landscape.
No, this plant is not considered pet-safe. If you have cats or dogs that are prone to chewing on garden plants, you may want to place this in a container or an area inaccessible to them.
It is a low-maintenance groundcover that requires only moderate watering once established. Because it is evergreen, it provides year-round interest without the need for constant pruning or seasonal cleanup.
Yes, Silver Queen Ajuga is deer and rabbit resistant. While no plant is entirely immune to hungry wildlife, its foliage is generally unappealing to these common garden pests.
This plant prefers loamy, well-drained soil. Ensuring good drainage is key to preventing root rot, especially in areas that receive frequent rainfall.
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Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$12