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Ajuga australis
Lamiaceae FAMILY

Ajuga australis

Ajuga australis

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial
Growth—

Ajuga australis has a wide range, spreading from the temperate zone of Tasmania north to the tropical regions of Queensland. It is likely to be found at mainly in the montane zone in the north of its range. The plant is tolerant of at least moderate frosts[1]. Prefers a humus-rich, moisture retentive soil and a sunny position[2]. Plants prefer semi-shade, but tolerate full sun[1]. The plant is found wild in a range of soils, from sandy to clay-rich, but is intolerant of poor drainage[3, 1]. Established plants will tolerate extended dry periods[1]. Easily grown in the rock garden[4], it spreads rapidly by root suckers[5]. Plants can flower all year round, especially in warmer climates, but the main flowering is in spring[3].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ or in containers in a greenhouse for planting out later. Division in spring Root cuttings are usually quick and reliable[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ajuga+australis>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Australian Native Plants Society — http://anpsa.org.au/index.html ↩︎A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Flora of New South Wales — http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm ↩︎An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]Australian Native Plants. — Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. · Collins. (Australia) · 1988 · ISBN 0-7322-0021-0 ↩︎A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
  6. [6]Australian Medicinal Plants. — Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. · New Holland Publishers · 2001 · ISBN 1876334703 ↩︎A very good and readable guide to the subject.
  7. [7]Flora of Victoria. — Ewart. A. J. · University Press; Melbourne · 1930 ↩︎A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
  8. [8]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.