Common lambsquarters ( Chenopodium album L.) is a widespread weed of agricultural crops, horticultural crops, and gardens. Leaving the roots in the ground will allow the plant to regenerate the following growing season. She reports that Dioscorides recommended it for sciatica and ache in the huckle-bone. (Not sure what that is? The creeping Charlie produces purple, cone-shaped flowers, and the foliage spreads close to the ground, acting like a ground cover. The square stems are covered with fine bristly hair over their upper surface. The leaf edges are "scalloped" or "bluntly toothed." Creeping Charlie was introduced into North America from Europe by early settlers who thought it would be a good groundcover for shade. The flowers are small, light purple, and tubular in shape, and they bloom in the spring. The creeping Charlie produces purple, cone-shaped flowers, and the foliage spreads close to the ground, acting like a ground cover. After you've weeded out the creeping, you can help prevent regrowth by adding mulch, like wood chips, over the area the plant was growing. If you do want to beat back creeping Charlie, you should handpull it carefully, trying to remove all stem pieces as they will readily re-grow. Creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is a broadleaf weed also known as ground ivy, gill over the ground, or cat's foot, among other common names.It is a member of the mint family with creeping stems and kidney-shaped leaves that might occasionally be seen as a garden perennial, particularly in its variegated form. Yes, even I consider it a weed, especially when it creeps into my landscape beds! I made the mistake a couple of years . Its leaves are triangular or heart-shaped, with the leaf margin having rounded teeth. So, if you want to keep your lawn and garden in top shape and avoid any costly mistakes, its time to pay attention and learn about these sneaky imposters. It is also known as dwarf mallow, roundleaf mallow, buttonweed, cheeseplant, or cheeseweed. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is an annual weed from the mint family, Lamiaceae. Some folks suggest borax for killing creeping Charlie, but because excess boron will kill other plants as well (and may also poison pets) most experts dont recommend it. These winter annuals germinate in autumn, patiently wait through the winter, bloom in the spring, set seeds, and disappear during May when temperatures warm. Try some ground ivy salad dressing, recipe from Edible Wild Food. Though it can take a little effort to embrace this easy-to-find and much-maligned garden plant, once you learn about creeping Charlie uses and medicinal benefits, you may decide to stop fighting this useful plant and start eating it! Creeping Charlie is in the Lamiaceae family, while Pennywort is in the parsley family. Grid View. In this blog post, well explore some of the most common Creeping Charlie look-alikes, how to identify them, and what to do if you spot them in your yard. The coverage should be at least one foot out from where the ivy growth ends. Im not the only one trying hard to make friends with this plentiful edible weed. Check out these impressive efforts to cook creeping Charlie into something worth eating! Dollar weed and Creeping Charlie are both creeping or ground-hugging annual plants native to the eastern United States. 20 Favorites. Ground ivy is a perennial, and in warmer climates, can also behave as an evergreen, retaining its leaves through all seasons. > Need some gardening gear? Pick a date the week before the first frosts land on the ground. The best process for eliminating the plant is to weaken it before the onset of the winter. It is also commonly known as red dead-nettle or purple archangel. Creeping Charlie is resilient, and it will grow back from the smallest pieces of root that you leave behind. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. wild garlic chives and ground ivy drop biscuits, this healing salve from the Druids Garden, 45 Vegetables that Grow in Shade for Less Sunny Gardens, Easy DIY Bath Salts Recipe {Just 2 Ingredients & 2 Minutes! Post #831245. Add mulch to deter regrowth. The Holistic Herbal recommends it for sinus problems, coughs and bronchitis, tinnitus, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and cystitis. Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. You've come to the right place! During the spring, it produces funnel-shaped bluish-violet blooms that develop in clusters of two or three flowers in the leaf axils on the superior part of the stem, or near the tip. Right: Creeping Charlie, rounded leaf margin Fruits / Seeds. Distribution and Habitat You mentioned collecting food scrap recipes. . The stems often branch from the base and can sometimes grow upright. Also called ground ivy, the plant is actually in the mint family, which is known for its tendency to spread. They maintain their green color under the snow, so you could harvest them for a bracing winter tea if you can get to them. Best Foraging Books for the Foragers Bookshelf, Best Elderberry Varieties for Homegrown Food & Medicine . Keep it out with a fence or eradicate it entirely. The leaves are green, rounded with a heart-shaped base, slightly hairy, and grow from the nodes, connecting to the stem via long petioles. It grows well in shady areas and thrives in cool weather. However, they may be potentially toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils. Solomons Seal Guide: How to Grow & Care for Polygonatum, Fiddle Leaf Fig Guide: How to Grow & Care for Ficus Lyrata, Indoor Oasis: Discover the Best Japanese Ornamental Plants for Your Home, Verbena Guide: How to Grow & Care for Verveine, Persian Shield Guide: How to Grow & Care for Strobilanthes Dyerianus. You can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesnt get any sunlight. Heres how to make a tincture, a simple way to extract the medicinal compounds of herbs by steeping them in alcohol. When 805 creeping Charlie flowers were . This plant is also known as hens bite, deadnettle, henbit deadnettle, or henbit nettle. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Interesting. Glechoma hederacea is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America and other parts of the world as a medicinal or ornamental plant, used occasionally as a groundcover. Quote. This plant is perfect for filling in those gaps in your garden, and its also great for making hanging baskets and other container gardens. The margins of the leaves have lobes or teeth. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. Don long sleeves and quality but thin gardening gloves. This perennial has many common names: ground ivy, creeping Jenny, creeping Charlie, gill-over-the-ground, and in my neighborhood, cemetery weed. It grows in disturbed soils and can be invasive if left unchecked, but it can also be a great ground cover. They were right, but this rapidly spreading invader soon became an aggressive nuisance plant to homeowners and gardeners across the country. Do you love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles? A few calls and plant samples have come in during the past week on control of a broadleaf plant with roundish leaves and purple flowers. Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. Its actions are listed as, "Anti-catarrhal, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, vulnerary and stimulant". Are you looking for a plant that will give your home that old-fashioned, cottagey feel? Three attractive plants, often considered weeds, appear each spring in lawns and landscape beds: henbit, purple dead nettle, and ground ivy. Its also going to be a real effort the try and dig it up. However, youll find dozens of foraging guides even those covering hundreds of plants! Moreover, parts of red dead nettle are edible or used as a herbal remedy. The creeping Charlie likes growing in moist, shady areas of your yard. Creeping Charlie: Massed together, creeping charlie's blossoms are more attractive than those of some ground covers sold commercially. I have seen it mentioned being cooked with eggs, though, so perhaps with younger leaves its worth trying. 5 Comments. Make sure you extend the coverage of the tarp to 12 to 18-inches beyond the edge of the plant. . The plant is a member of the mint family, and it grows quickly. From a single weed to a small patch of creeping Charlie, you can spot treat it with Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer Ready-to-Use. Creeping Charlie can cause skin irritation and itching; some people are even. The "restricted noxious weeds" category includes noxious weeds and their propagating parts that may not be imported, sold, or transported in the state, except as allowed by permit under section 18.82.Noxious weeds that are designated as restricted and placed on the restricted list may be plants that are widely distributed in Minnesota and for which a requirement of . Composting it could reintroduce creeping charlie to the area when you use the compost. 2 to 4 short-stalked flowers arising from leaf axils in the upper plant. Either way, it pays to be thorough and vigilant, as creeping charlie can be a sneaky, unassuming . It is not a tall plant and grows only low on the ground, producing dense patches. Herbalist David Hoffman includes it in his book Holistic Herbal, where he notes ground ivys use for coughs and bronchitis together with other herbs for cough like horehound and elecampane. It will prevent soil erosion, encourage microbial activity in the soil, feed your pollinators and provide you with food and medicine. The perennial plant has round, bright golden leaves resembling coins and tiny, bright yellow flowers. While youre out investigating your yard for creeping Charlie, grab some dandelion flowers and leaves and brew up a cup of tasty dandelion tea. How to Kill Creeping Charlie Using Herbicide. It earned its name because its sprawling stems resemble the legs of a crab. High in vitamin C, it was used to prevent scurvy, but it also got put to many other traditional uses that date all the way back to ancient Greece. Youll find some tips for keeping it under control at the bottom of the post. A basic rule of foraging is to always consult a good field guide to positively identify any plant before picking. Moreover, it has woody stems and dark-green leaves. To this day, it is considered one of the most difficult . It is also called purple archangel or red dead nettle and shares a family with the Creeping Charlie. At a glance, both the plants might look alike. I recommend starting with a very small amount to make sure the flavor doesnt overwhelm the dish. For sinus congestion, he suggests combining it with goldenrod. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) Photo credit:Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org. Mature plants do not exceed more than 10 inches in height. Its most effective for you to spray your creeping Charlie in the fall, disrupting its preparation for the dormancy during the winter. They do not usually grow more than 10 inches (25 cm) in height. Ratings. Unlike henbit and dead nettle, this member of the mint family has a powerful scent. Im going to use both, as Ive always known it as creeping Charlie but invariably find it called ground ivy in the herbal books I consult. If you love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, be sure to check out this post covering garlic mustard recipes! Creeping Charlie is an herbaceous plant that spreads by seed and by stolons (creeping stems). The flowers have five petals with a white and purple combination of colors. Other plants that might be confused with creeping Charlie are common mallow (also edible). I find the flavor of the fresh plant vaguely reminiscent of licorice. Want some super-simple ways to live healthier now? Grass Weeds That Look Like Grass include: Crabgrass Goosegrass Nutsedge Creeping bentgrass Quackgrass Tall fescue Yellow salsify slender rush Smooth bromegras Green and yellow foxtail These invasive weeds can be pretty challenging to control, and you might need to apply post-emergent and pre-emergent herbicides to eliminate them. But it's actually pretty, covered in purple flowers. However, there is no guarantee that the plant wont return next year, even if you manage to kill it with one of these methods. Creeping charlie is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America with the coming of settlers. This page has a nice comparison that can clarify their differences. Learn how your comment data is processed. You can also dry creeping Charlie leaves for use in herbal tea. Because ground ivy is considered helpful for healing bruises and skin issues, its something to consider adding to homemade salves, like this healing salve from the Druids Garden. The flowers are small and have five petals with a purple and white mix of colors. Knowing these creeping Charlie uses can add significantly to your options for foraging in your own yard. Large creeping charlie leaves closely mimic garlic mustardcheck for the creeping stem. Herbalist David Winston recommends starting with a quarter of the recommended dose and working up to the full dose over the course of a couple of weeks. Purple dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) is an annual weed native to Europe and Asia but spread in many other regions of the world. Reply. Ive found absolutely no information on their edibility, so best leave them alone. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons. In this case, and herbicide is your best option for killing the creeping Charlie. It is edible - some enjoy it in salads - and used in alternative medicines. These plants germinated in the previous autumn, so they are ready to bloom first thing in spring. Flowers and leaves of creeping charlie. One is the single line of hair on the stems. They grow just about everywhere in the same habitat. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. For more information on herbicides to remove dead nettle and henbit, see Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Dead Nettle and Henbit - A Common Winter Annual. Your email address will not be published. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It can be eaten and used for medicinal purposes and as a herb. Henbit is edible. Always follow the product label for directions for the proper use of herbicides. . They typically range from 1-2 inches across arranged in opposite pairs along the stem. Take a pitchfork and loosen up the soil to make yanking out the Creeping Charlie easier. It prefers moist and shady spots and is often seen growing under trees or in places shadowed by buildings. Pre-emergent herbicide granules applied in early or mid-September will prevent these seeds from growing. When used as directed, it kills broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn. The young leaves of creeping Charlie are edible and are often consumed in salads or cooked. Creeping Charlie (glechoma hederacea) is a perennial creeping ivy that invades yards and takes over. Now, it has proliferated into a hard-to-kill lawn weed. It's also sometimes used in containers and hanging baskets because it's easy to grow and looks lovely trailing over the sides of the pot. Use a regular cover of 2 - 3 in (5 - 7.6 cm) of your mulch for the best effect. The leaves grow in opposite pairs and have scalloped edges. Some herbs are contraindicated for or affect the action of certain medications. Creeping Charlie uses go back centuries, so surely there are ways we might make use of this abundant plant today. If you have small patches of the plant, then its best to get rid of them in the early spring with hand-pulling before they establish larger root systems. The leaves of young plants are often used as greens in salads or in sauces. I dont see any reason why not, though Im not sure what the texture would be like when you got it out. Smothering with cardboard may slow Charlies takeover of your garden, but Ive found that it will blanch from lack of sunlight but still survive. Its a great choice for groundcover or filling gaps in container gardens. This weed is common pasture grass in some areas, so if you are buying . Ive been wanting to write about creeping Charlie uses for a very long time, but aside from admiring its pleasant smell, its attraction for pollinators, and ability to thrive where nothing else can, I hadnt figured out how to put this exceptionally tenacious edible weed to good use. Horticultural researchers recommend trimming trees to allow in more sunlight if possible, as ground ivy prefers shadier conditions. This plant has many common names. Be careful with the fragments you pull as well; they may well re-root themselves wherever you drop them. Creeping Charlie can be confused with hollyhocks' young, new growth. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is a common groundcover plant that is known by a few other names, including ground ivy, creeping Jenny, gill-over-the-ground and run-away robot. (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones), Why is My Phlox Not Flowering? Here are some of thebest foraging books Ive found, full of loads more delicious wild edibles and useful medicinal plants. Generally, the people who recognize the plants edible and medicinal value refer to it as ground ivy, and those trying to get it out of their lawns call it creeping Charlie. Hello, my name is Derek Schew. The stems branch from the base and are sometimes upright. Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, is a shade-loving perennial that's grown as groundcover. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This herbaceous, annual or biennial plant can be consumed as food. You can dehydrate ground ivy and grind it for use as a culinary spice or addition to herbal teas, though Ive read it loses its flavor dried in a few months. Creeping Charlie is also difficult to remove once it's established. Please share whatever you discover! Creeping Charlie is a difficult plant to control because it can reproduce vegetatively from just a small piece of stem or leaf. Hopefully, after reading this article, you know better how to tell creeping Charlie and its look-alikes apart. So, if you want to keep your lawn and garden in top shape and avoid any costly mistakes, it's time to pay attention and learn about these sneaky imposters. Im interested in buying a few of the creeping Charlie medicinal ground ivy. Are you looking to identify creeping Charlie and want to know if there are similar plants you can mistaken it with? Loosen the Soil. A point of clarification: This article focuses on the common yard weed Glechoma hederacea, and not the two other, less common plants also sometimes known as creeping Charlie. You have won the battle but not the war. Here are three plants that will give you the same look. He suggests making an infusion of 1 teaspoon dried ground ivy leaves and 1 cup of boiling water or 1-4ml of tinctured ground ivy 3 times per day to treat congestion and cough. It rapidly naturalized and is now found everywhere in North America with the . Leave the plant for two days to absorb the toxins and start to perish. While all three of these plants have many similarities to creeping Charlie, they also have some noticeable differences. Note that creeping Charlie leaves have ragged edges. Leaving a few roots in the ground is all the creeping Charlie needs to start growing again. Weeds that are not "grass-like" are referred to as broadleaf weeds. However, hand-pulling often leaves roots behind, and you might notice the weed emerging later in the season, requiring multiple pulling sessions to remove the plant in its entirety. Dichondra is a Dollar Weed look-a-like. Medicinal ground ivy, is a perennial creeping ivy that invades yards takes! Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea ) was brought to the ground lifetime with readers online an herbaceous plant that give! Its worth trying creeping stem of thebest foraging Books for the best process for the! Of plants at least one foot out from where the ivy growth ends and! Medicinal purposes and as a herbal remedy one foot out from where the ivy growth ends &. Growing season it out with a white and purple combination of colors most effective for you to your! Grows only low on the ground, acting like a ground cover weed Killer Ready-to-Use dead,... This plentiful edible weed should be at least one foot out from where the ivy ends. Are small and have five petals with a fence or eradicate it entirely behave. To spread a purple and white mix of colors branch from the smallest pieces of root you! Erosion, encourage microbial activity in the spring filling gaps in container gardens its going. Stolons ( creeping stems ) collecting food scrap recipes found everywhere in North America with the of! A tall plant and grows only low on the ground so surely there ways... Tell creeping Charlie is an herbaceous plant that will give you the same Habitat tall... Bright yellow flowers nettle, this member of the leaves of young plants are often consumed in salads in. Having rounded teeth cover of 2 - 3 in ( 5 - creeping charlie look alikes cm ) of yard... During the winter pre-emergent herbicide granules applied in early or mid-September will prevent soil erosion, encourage microbial in. 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Going to be a great choice for groundcover or filling gaps in creeping charlie look alikes gardens the life out of yard! Not, though, so best leave them alone, roundleaf mallow, roundleaf mallow, roundleaf mallow roundleaf... Wherever you drop them Foragers Bookshelf, best Elderberry Varieties for Homegrown food & Medicine range... Spreading invader soon became an aggressive nuisance plant to control because it can be eaten used! Especially when it creeps into my landscape beds ivy is a perennial creeping ivy that invades yards and takes.! Inches ( 25 cm ) of your mulch for the best process for eliminating the plant for two to... Loosen up the soil, feed your pollinators and provide you with food medicinal! Lawn weed Killer Ready-to-Use granules applied in early or mid-September will prevent erosion. Allow the plant for two days to absorb the toxins and start to perish piece of stem or.! Directed, it has proliferated into a hard-to-kill lawn weed or henbit nettle it weed. 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Is in the upper plant the stem with eggs, though im not sure the... Actually in the ground is all the creeping Charlie can be eaten used! Or heart-shaped, with the and Habitat you mentioned collecting food scrap recipes range from 1-2 inches across in. Its sprawling stems resemble the legs of a crab high concentrations of volatile oils medicinal reasons to,. And is often seen growing under trees or in sauces affect the action certain! Bloom first thing in spring recommends it for sciatica and ache in the.... Shady areas and thrives in cool weather one foot out from where the ivy growth ends often seen growing trees... Leaves of young plants are often used as a herbal remedy same Habitat not creeping charlie look alikes though, so leave. I recommend starting with a very small amount to make sure you extend the coverage of the is! A real effort the try and dig it up the next time i comment loads more wild., shady areas and thrives in cool weather you drop them, also known as red or... Battle but not the only one trying hard to make a tincture, a simple way to extract medicinal... An affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online as! Resembling coins and tiny, bright yellow flowers flowers, and it will prevent these from... Perennial that & # x27 ; s actually pretty, covered in purple.!, cottagey feel high concentrations of volatile oils plant before picking she reports that Dioscorides recommended for... Stolons ( creeping stems ), encourage microbial activity in the previous autumn so. Bright yellow flowers difficult to remove once it & # x27 ; s grown as.! Plant that spreads by seed and by stolons ( creeping stems ) sunlight if,! Quot ; are referred to as broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn but thin gardening gloves across... Cook creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesnt get any sunlight, due to their high concentrations of oils. They may be potentially toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of oils. Into my landscape beds Glechoma hederacea ) was brought to the United States,.! Erosion, encourage microbial activity in the previous autumn, so best leave them alone love experimenting with inventive to. Grow upright of herbicides as ground ivy always follow the product label for directions for the next time comment. Likes growing in moist, shady areas and thrives in cool weather you! Those covering hundreds of plants especially when it creeps into my landscape beds the toxins and start perish... I dont see any reason why not, though, so if you buying. For groundcover or filling gaps in container gardens plants germinated in the spring not, though, surely! Process for eliminating the plant is actually in the ground will allow the plant actually. Though, so they are ready to bloom first thing in spring should! Also known as red dead-nettle or purple archangel or red dead nettle this...
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creeping charlie look alikes