General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils with good drainage, but tolerates moderately dry ones. Will grow in full shade, but best performance is in sunny locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day). Provide good air circulation in hot and humid areas where crown rot is a problem. Divide when clumps become overcrowded. A fast-growing plant which will spread by stolons to form an attractive ground cover. Larger plantings may be mowed on a high mower setting to remove spent flower spikes and to tidy the appearance of the planting. String trimmers and hedge shears are also effective for removing spent flower spikes. Space plants 6-9” apart for quick cover.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
‘Purple Torch’ is a stoloniferous, mat-forming, bugleweed cultivar. Spreading rosettes of oval, shiny, dark green leaves typically form a 3-5” tall foliage carpet. Tiny, two-lipped, lavender-pink flowers (typical mint family) appear in spring in torch-like flower spikes that rise from the rosette centers well above the foliage to 12” tall. Foliage turns bronze in winter. When in full flower, large plantings can produce a striking floral display.
Problems: Click for detailed list of pests and problems.
No serious insect or disease problems. Crown rot can be a problem, particularly in the humid conditions of the deep South and in wet, heavy soils.
Uses:
Best grown as a ground cover in areas where it can spread without threatening adjacent plantings. Will fill in large shady areas where lawns are difficult to establish. Also effective on banks, slopes, around trees and shrubs, and over spring flowering bulbs.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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