Ajuga iva aka Pulford

Ajuga iva is in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common names include herb ivy and herb Eve. The RHS lists Teucrium iva as a synonym. Kew says it is native to Macaronesia and the Mediterranean. The range covers parts of southern Europe and North Africa. Plants For A Future lists Cyprus, Israel, and Jordan too. It also lists southern Turkey. Island records name Madeira, the Canaries, and Crete. They also name Sicily and Sardinia. The RHS does not list it as native to Britain or Ireland.

Sources differ on its life cycle and form. Plants For A Future calls it a perennial. This means it lives for more than two years. Kew lists it as an annual or a subshrub. These accounts give no clear growth form for garden use. Neither source gives its mature height or spread here. The supplied species records give no leaf or stem details. Nor do they describe its bark, flower colour, or fruit. Plants For A Future calls the flowers hermaphrodite. Each flower has both male and female organs. The evidence gives no bloom season. It does not say how pollination takes place.

Kew links the plant to a subtropical climate. Plants For A Future lists it in Israel's semi-steppe shrubland. That source lists sun and partial shade for garden growth. It says the plant prefers moist soil. Its account lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. The stated soil pH runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. These facts suggest some choice of soil and site. They do not show how well it copes with drought. Nor do they give a watering plan. No supplied source gives a frost limit or hardiness zone.

Plants For A Future lists garden beds as a setting. The evidence gives no spread or growth rate. It gives no pest or disease details for this species. That database does not flag it as a weed. It lists no known edible uses. Its edibility score is zero. It lists no known other uses either. Its medicinal entry reports antimalarial traits, which may act against malaria. It gives a low medicinal-use score. This report does not show a safe treatment or dose. The source lists no known hazards. This does not prove the plant is safe. The supplied evidence does not show safety for people or pets.