Ajuga is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11 and shrugs off deer. Its mid summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Ajuga — the short answer
Ajuga: grown in zones 5–11, part sun, pH 5.5–7.5.
- USDA zones
- 5–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Ajuga on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether ajuga actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score ajuga against your land's real conditions.
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What Ajuga is
Ajuga grows as a perennial and reaches around 6 inches at maturity. It blooms blue in mid summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Ajuga
Ajuga grows in USDA zones 5 through 11. Ajuga does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
5-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
-23°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
0.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant ajuga in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Ajuga prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut ajuga down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Where Ajuga thrives
Ajuga is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–11 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 29 outright and splits 21 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–11·Where Ajuga growsOpen map →
Where Ajuga stands, state by state
Ajuga is rated for zones 5–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 29 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 21 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–11
29 states
3 of 29 shown
The line runs through
21 states
3 of 21 shown
Ajuga’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–11
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Ajuga
Growing guides for ajuga
In rotation planning, ajuga counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in grass/groundcover
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — ajuga isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Ajuga offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Ajuga's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Ajuga will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether ajuga actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Ajuga
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Ajuga in my zone?
Ajuga grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Ajuga?
Time ajuga to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Ajuga need?
Ajuga does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Ajuga need?
Ajuga prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Ajuga attract pollinators?
Yes — ajuga's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Ajuga safe for pets?
Ajuga is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)