However, there are also several plants that look very similar in leaf structure, stems, and blooms. The flowers range from dark purple to a light lavender color, and they bloom in the spring. Creeping Charlie is a green vine with round, scalloped-edge leaves and small purple flowers. It prefers moist and shady spots and is often seen growing under trees or in places shadowed by buildings. I just downloaded a PDF from the IKEA web site. Some gardeners might confuse the creeping Charlie for the creeping Jenny. Leaves are often shiny, but covered with fine hairs, which you can see in the photo below. The leaf edges are "scalloped" or "bluntly toothed." 15. Its leaves, stalks, and seed are all considered edible. It is also called Cheese plant, Dwarf Mallow, Buttonweed, and Cheeseweed. Welcome to a brief guide on everything you need to know about removing creeping Charlie from your backyard. The third look-alike plant, ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), is a challenging species. The "Modern Love" actress responded to look-alike comparisons in a 2015 interview with "Extra," saying, "I've never heard that! Or if you have a mulberry tree, try some delicious mulberry tree leaf tea. 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. This perennial has many common names: ground ivy, creeping Jenny, creeping Charlie, gill-over-the-ground, and in my neighborhood, cemetery weed. These pesky creatures may be small, but they can cause a significant amount of damage to your outdoor space. The flowers are tubular and have white and yellow markings. Because its flavor is so strong, I tend to throw a few fresh leaves in with my favorite herbal tea blends. If the plants are cut down spray the exposed growth. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. Strap on your protective gear and mix the herbicide. Leave the plant for two days to absorb the toxins and start to perish. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Since then she has gone on to develop a passion for growing vegetables & fruit in her garden. Grid View. After taking steps to control creeping charlie in your flower beds, keep a close eye out for it to reappear. Early in the spring, Lamium amplexicaule produces axillary and terminal purple flowers. Widespread Infestation To control a large creeping . The leaves grow in opposite pairs across the stalk, are green, kidney-shaped, with serrated edges, and covered with hair. Her first book, Everything Elderberry, released in September 2020 and has been a #1 new release in holistic medicine, naturopathy, herb gardening, and other categories. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). Creeping Charlie is a perennial weed that was brought to North America by early European settlers to be used as ground cover. Scroll down to the recipes linked at the bottom, and youll find some people using ground ivy successfully in savory dishes. At a glance, both the plants might look alike. Few herbal reference guides mention ground ivy. This is a herbaceous annual plant that is native to western Asia, Europe, and northern Africa. Like the Creeping Charlie, Mazus reptans is low maintenance, requiring occasional weeding and trimming. The margins of the leaves have lobes or teeth. The leafs top part is dark green with a purple or light green underside. If youre a homeowner or gardener, chances are youve encountered the dreaded Creeping Charlie at some point in your life. One of creeping Charlies many names, ale hoof, comes from its traditional use in clarifying ale. Plants can taste different in different climates and under different growing conditions, so after youve positively identified it, you should taste your local crop of creeping Charlie both fresh and dried to determine how its flavor will work in your next meal or cup of tea. Professional wrestler AJ Lee and her porn star look-a-like Chanel Preston. ), also known as pennywort, is a warm-season perennial weed. Creeping Charlie flowers produce an average of 0.3 microliters of nectar per flower, but the amount of nectar in any one flower varies greatly, ranging from 0.06 to 2.4 microliters. Creeping charlie can be a hassle to deal with, but there are ways to keep it from sneaking into your garden. Its round evergreen leaves with scalloped margins are attached to the stem by a short stalk. Larkie Camilla, GA (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. Try some ground ivy salad dressing, recipe from Edible Wild Food. It is a plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Look it up and see if you agree that's what it is before you try it. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. It has a very similar leaf shape with distinct venation, but they are borne from a vine rather than a basal rosette, and its purple flowers look nothing like mustard flowers. Susannah is a proud garden geek and energy nerd who loves healthy food and natural remedies. Although far from being identical, the purple dead-nettle has similarities with creeping Charlie and can be easily mistaken for it. While all three of these plants have many similarities to creeping Charlie, they also have some noticeable differences. However, they may be potentially toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils. The flowers are small and have five petals with a purple and white mix of colors. Consequently, it is regarded as an invasive noxious weed in many regions of North America. The leaves are produced opposite each other on square (i.e., four-sided), creeping stems that root at the nodes. Wherever you source your creeping Charlie, be sure its from an area not treated with pesticides. Here are three plants that will give you the same look. That's, like, so gonna be the best thing to happen to me . Check the area in the early springtime, and after the first rains. Heres what to know about the many different ways you can try preserving herbs. Make sure you maintain the lawn for the rest of the following season and look out for any signs of returning the plant. Creeping Charlie produces bright green, round or kidney-shaped leaves that have scalloped edges. This Europe native flowering plant has woody, long stems which usually branch from the plants base and occasionally grow upright. This invasive weed can quickly take over your lawn and garden, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed. Love learning about medicinal herbs? Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. However, it requires more maintenance compared to mazus reptans. The easiest way to use ground ivy is in tea using either fresh or dried leaves. Control henbit and dead nettle with a post-emergent broadleaf herbicide liquid or granule in early November. Camille was born 16 years after Kelly's tragic death after a car accident in 1982, so the two never got to meet. The plant also has medicinal uses and, when crushed, is quite fragrant. Would you be able to freeze creeping Charlie in order to preserve the flavour and medicinal qualities for use in tea later in the year? You have won the battle but not the war. Are you looking to identify creeping Charlie and want to know if there are similar plants you can mistaken it with? 48/48. For culinary purposes, try using the youngest leaves or the tiny flowers. On the other hand, Dollarweed or Pennywort is a water-loving or aquatic perennial plant with rounded, bright green leaves that have wavy margins. Reply. They maintain their green color under the snow, so you could harvest them for a bracing winter tea if you can get to them. Its leaves, seed and stalks are all considered edible. Quote. It kills listed weeds down to the roots and is rainproof in 1 hour. Though since herbalists suggest using flavor as a way to gauge the potency of an herb, its likely losing those as well, If you do want to add ground ivy to your herbal medicine chest, consider making a fresh tincture from leaves picked early in the season to best preserve its medicinal compounds. Aliases: couchgrass, quitch grass, creeping wheat. Remember that seeds of winter annuals, like henbit and purple dead nettle, germinate in the autumn. This article addresses how to manage them. It's an annual weed that often shows up in the cooler months. This weed is common pasture grass in some areas, so if you are buying . Hand-pull ground ivy from landscape beds, taking care to remove as much stem and roots as possible. Large creeping charlie leaves closely mimic garlic mustardcheck for the creeping stem. 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. It kills anything around it, smothering the roots, blocking sunlight, and preventing water and nutrition from reaching the roots of your plants. You will see ground Ivy under shrubs and trees, and it thrives in shaded, moist environments. Oxalis has more of a heart shaped leaf, whereas clover's leaf is more oval shaped. 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! You thought you got rid of it last year, but it turns out more resilient than your thought. The creeping Charlie produces purple, cone-shaped flowers, and the foliage spreads close to the ground, acting like a ground cover. Pennywort leaves connect to the leaf stem in the center, not at the edge. Yellow sorrel has yellow flowers too although sometimes they are closed up. It looks like a mohawk or a mullet and it . When you see it appear, youll have to take immediate action to remove it, or the next time you look at it could be too late. : Help Your Plant Bloom, How Long Does It Take Clover to Bloom? They do not usually grow more than 10 inches (25 cm) in height. STEP 1: Prune Creeping Charlie to expose the roots. Common Mallow has lobed or toothed leaves, while the white and purple mix flowers are tiny with five petals. Soak the creeping Charlie all over the plant and at the base of the roots. Water the ground thoroughly and dig up the root system. They are clump-forming tender perennials that bloom up to 4 feet tall. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The leaves of dollarweed are round, bright green, fleshy, and look like miniature lily pads measuring 1-2" in diameter with a scalloped edge. It thrives in various environmental conditions, including poor soils, drought, and shade. However, the leaves arent glossy like Creeping Charlie leaves. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons. Some people may be allergic to creeping Charlie, reacting on their skin to the touch or in their mouths and throats if taken internally. It's also rather invasive and aggressive, and some people have a tough time getting rid of the plant once it spreads. I look forward to purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) each April. When 805 creeping Charlie flowers were . Wherever there is a node, the square stems root into the soil. It can also multiply via rhizomes and seeds. Common Mallow (Malva Neglecta), also known as Dwarf Mallow, Cheese Plant, Cheeseweed, and Buttonweed, is a flowering plant native to Europe. You've come to the right place! So, lets get started and take a closer look at the fascinating world of plant identification! It's best to put a newspaper or cardboard barrier and then a second layer of a tarp to block sunlight. But Dichondra is smaller and prefers shady moist areas of the lawn. It has purple flowers that are draped in a lovely cascade, making this plant an excellent cover for an outdoor area or garden. Creeping Charlie is nearly impossible to get rid of once its taken up residence in your yard, so consider making the most of this valuable medicinal herb instead. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is a creeping lawn weed Creeping Charlie is a common lawn weed that spreads across lawns and can be difficult to remove altogether. It is also tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions, including shade, drought, and poor soils. Some say ground ivy can be eaten like spinach in soups and casseroles, just proceed with caution. Henbits round green leaves with deeply scalloped edges attach to a deep red short stem. Added: May 6, 2022Updated: February 1, 2023. Dead Nettle, Henbit, and Ground Ivy - Three Look-Alike Weeds, Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Three Weeds with Three Leaflets: Trifoliate Look-Alikes, Bull Thistle Identification and Management, Neighborly Natural Landscaping in Residential Areas, Dandelion and Common Purslane: Ubiquitous Edible Weeds. Studies indicate it is also strongly antibacterial. Its scientific name is Lysimachia nummularia. that make no mention of this ubiquitous edible weed. So, whats a gardener to do? When used as directed, it kills broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn. Early twentieth-century herbalist Maud Grieve writes, From early days, Ground Ivy has been endowed with singular curative virtues, and is one of the most popular remedies for coughs and nervous headaches. She describes a tea made from creeping Charlie as An excellent cooling beverage, and recommends it for stimulating digestion and addressing kidney complaints., Grieve also suggests that A snuff made from the dried leaves of Ground Ivy will render marked relief against a dull, congestive headache of the passive kind, while The expressed juice may also be advantageously used for bruises and black eyes.'. Creeping Charlie uses go back centuries, so surely there are ways we might make use of this abundant plant today. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast. Home Pest & Weeds 6 Creeping Charlie Look-Alikes. It is also known as dwarf mallow, roundleaf mallow, buttonweed, cheeseplant, or cheeseweed. In addition, some of its parts serve as a herbal remedy or are eaten. Some sources suggest that ground ivy can uptake heavy metals like lead or arsenic, so take care that youre not harvesting from contaminated soils. Also called ground ivy, the plant is actually in the mint family, which is known for its tendency to spread. Creeping Charlie, as its name suggests, has a creeping growth habit, forming dense mats of runners wherever it gets a foothold. Your email address will not be published. We need to tell them apart because ground ivy is . Creeping jenny is known by the alternate names moneywort, creeping charlie and twopenny grass. . Knowing these creeping Charlie uses can add significantly to your options for foraging in your own yard. How can you use the life cycle of a winter annual to manage it? Ive found absolutely no information on their edibility, so best leave them alone. Mature plants do not exceed more than 12 inches in height. Contact her at hollie@gardenbeast.com or follow on twitter https://twitter.com/greenholliec. Additionally, this weed can reduce the quality of your lawn. Purple dead-nettle has upright square stems which are usually bright green when the plant is young and then may get a crimson tint beginning from the base when maturing. It spreads efficiently and quickly through stolons (creeping stems), seeds, or rhizomes. The common garden weed creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) has many overlooked medicinal and edible uses. Leaves are often shiny, but covered with fine hairs, which you can see in the photo below. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); GardenBeast is an online publication which launched in 2019 with the aim of providing the latest news, in-depth how-to guides and reviews of popular products to help you make the most from your back yards and gardens. Right: Creeping Charlie, rounded leaf margin Fruits / Seeds. Some herbs are contraindicated for or affect the action of certain medications. For these reasons, creeping Charlie is often considered a weed. Each flower soon develops into a slender, straight seedpod called a silique. They scatter lots of seeds so one spray will not eradicate the problem. The hairy calyx is green to purplish and forms a . Glechoma hederacea is a weed that can withstand mowing, and it is regularly found growing in lawns. Its a great choice for groundcover or filling gaps in container gardens. When the plant dries, and the foliage turns brown, its dead and ready for pulling from the ground. A member of the mint family, some find the taste somewhat resembles mint with some bitterness or astringency. It grows close to the ground and forms a mat-like ground cover. Found in lawns throughout the United States. Cover your tea while it steeps to retain the volatile oils. Broadleaf Lawn Weeds. After removing all the creeping Charlie check to make sure you got all the roots. Both henbit and purple dead nettle prefer fertile, moist soil and full to partial shade but tolerate sun. Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, is an adaptable, insidious weed that's resilient to damage - Here's how to kill it and rid your garden of it. 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. Creeping Charlie can be confused with hollyhocks' young, new growth. What are you planning to use it for? Find Out Today, Actaea Simplex Brunette: Growth and Care Guide, Kumquat Tree Florida: Growth and Care Guide, Cedar Trees in Florida: How to Grow and Care for Cedars, Dahoon Holly Tree (Ilex Cassine): Florida Care Guide. The stems and leaves have needle-like hairs. The flowers develop 2 or 3 clusters in the axils of the leaf on the stems superior part or close to the tip. I wasnt either and looked it up. The larger the plant gets, the harder it is to remove. 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. Honey bees and bumble bees visit to gather nectar. This perennial often appears in lawns but can. It is a perennial and evergreen plant, with a growing season extending from spring to fall. Its also a useful insect repellent, so next time bugs bother you, if you have nothing else at the ready, try crushing some creeping Charlie and rubbing it on your skin. Creeping Charlie is also difficult to remove once it's established. Either way, it pays to be thorough and vigilant, as creeping charlie can be a sneaky, unassuming . 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. But its abundance, medicinal properties, and its persistently green leaves some of the last to be seen when temperatures take a nosedive for our long, cold winter and the first to hint of green things to come when the snow finally melts made me determined to find a way to use creeping Charlie. While Creeping Charlie resembles multiple plants, making it easy to confuse them, you can differentiate it from the rest if you know what to look for. Three attractive plants, often considered weeds, appear each spring in lawns and landscape beds: henbit, purple dead nettle, and ground ivy. The flowers produce big green seed pods, each containing 4 brownish seeds. Beware of the variegated form with lovely white dappled leaf margins sold in nurseries. Corn gluten meal is an organic option to apply in late summer. Note that creeping Charlie leaves have ragged edges. Saddly, more of these invaders will pop up here and there. If the creeping Charlie does manage to seed, youre going to have a big problem in your yard the following season. creeping charlie is a ground vine (ground ivy) so has a different stem set-up. Even if you do want to consume some of the creeping Charlie growing in your yard, its likely youll still be growing more than you want or can use. This minty edible contains a lot of vitamin C and offers a multitude of health benefits. Heres more on the different creeping Charlies from Awkward Botany if youre curious. But it's actually pretty, covered in purple flowers. Although creeping Charlie is a fairly easy-to-identify weed, there are still a few plants with similar appearance and characteristics. At best, spring herbicidal treatments suppress it. Moreover, parts of red dead nettle are edible or used as a herbal remedy. Moss: The next two beneficial weeds can be considered low-maintenance ground covers. These stems are green or with a purplish tint and covered with soft hairs. Here are numerous other ground cover herbs to consider. 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. Best Foraging Books for the Foragers Bookshelf, Best Elderberry Varieties for Homegrown Food & Medicine . That said, several plants resemble creeping Charlie, and here are the three major ones: This is a herbaceous, evergreen groundcover plant native to Europe and Asia. Persian speedwell (used medicinally, but reportedly barely edible) and ponyfoot (edible, though some find it bland) are other plants with somewhat similar characteristics as ground ivy, though again, if you compare photos and descriptions, theyre easily told apart. Please share whatever you discover! Examples include dandelion, clover, and chickweed. Henbit is native to North Africa, Europe, and western Asia but also grows in North America today. Pods are . Select again to hide. Dichondra leaves indent where they connect to the petiole (leaf stem). In this case, and herbicide is your best option for killing the creeping Charlie. Please see our privacy policy for more details. is an aquatic mint found in subtropical regions. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. They are dark green on the top with light green or purple undersides. Hoffman recommends gathering leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in tinctures and tea. Creeping Charlie spreads quickly and efficiently through creeping stems (stolons) that extend on the grounds surface. Also known as red deadnettle or the purple archangel, purple deadnettle is a low-growing plant that spreads rapidly by sending out runners (or stolons), just like Creeping Charlie. Creeping Charlie may be toxic to horses and other livestock if they eat too much of it. Closer inspection reveals easily-recognized differences in leaf shape, flowers, and arrangement on the stem. So, there is no risk of poisoning if these two plants are mistaken for each other. Got it? It even has violet-purple flowers in late spring. It gets the common name, dollarweed, from its silver - dollar-shaped leaves. Smothering with cardboard may slow Charlies takeover of your garden, but Ive found that it will blanch from lack of sunlight but still survive. What an interesting question! This plant has many common names. They typically range from 1-2 inches across arranged in opposite pairs along the stem. 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. The young leaves of creeping Charlie are edible and are often consumed in salads or cooked. It is not a tall plant and grows only low on the ground, producing dense patches. Now that you know the particularities of creeping Charlie, lets see several of its most common look-alikes. Native Americans used ground ivy to treat colds, hives, and measles. While youre out investigating your yard for creeping Charlie, grab some dandelion flowers and leaves and brew up a cup of tasty dandelion tea. The perennial plant has round, bright golden leaves resembling coins and tiny, bright yellow flowers. Dichondra is a Dollar Weed look-a-like. For more information on herbicides to remove dead nettle and henbit, see Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Dead Nettle and Henbit - A Common Winter Annual. 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. Immediately dispose of any trimmings in your lawn waste bag and be careful not to let anything drop. The upper lip is notched and extends out, the lower lip is 3-lobed with dark spots and streaks on the large center lobe. September 24, 2022 at 11:09 am. A member of the mint family, creeping Charlie goes by many names, including ground ivy, Glechoma hederacea, ale-hoof, gill-over-the-ground, field balm, and cats foot,plus all sorts of expletives uttered by exasperated lawn-lovers who cant get rid of the stuff. Or check out more than 25 medicinal trees you can forage for medicinal ingredients, like the common ginkgo or birch, which can be used to make ginkgo biloba tea or birch tea. Stay strong and confident. Please enter your email address below to create account. Other creeping Charlie uses include treating tinnitus, sciatica, bruises, indigestion, tuberculosis, bronchitis, inflammation of the eyes, and lead poisoning, among many other conditions. Garden weed creeping Charlie, lets get started and take a closer look the! Gets a foothold if there are similar plants you can mistaken it with immediately dispose of trimmings. Nerd who loves healthy Food and natural remedies them apart because ground ivy treat! Young leaves of creeping Charlie ( also known as ground cover herbs to consider corn gluten is., forming dense mats of runners wherever it gets the common garden weed creeping Charlie, they also have noticeable! The IKEA web site has round, scalloped-edge leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use clarifying. Plants base and are often consumed in salads or cooked flowers are tubular and have scalloped edges many names ale. 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