Flowers and leaves of creeping charlie. This plant has many common names. Keep reading to find out how herbalists recommend using it, as well as recipes for using it as a culinary herb. It is a low-growing plant but it may reach up to 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) in height. Hand-pulling or hoeing works, but be sure to remove the whole plant, including the fibrous roots, before henbit or dead nettle sets seed. The ones at the bottom are dark green and gradually get a greenish-purple gradient towards the top of the plant. Are you looking to identify creeping Charlie and want to know if there are similar plants you can mistaken it with? Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Creeping Charlie can be confused with hollyhocks' young, new growth. Creeping Charlie is resilient, and it will grow back from the smallest pieces of root that you leave behind. Beware of the variegated form with lovely white dappled leaf margins sold in nurseries. From seed germination to flower blooms to seed. This invasive weed can quickly take over your lawn and garden, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed. Post #831245. This plant is commonly found in semi-shaded or shaded environments, typically under trees. It spreads efficiently and quickly through stolons (creeping stems), seeds, or rhizomes. Henbit is edible. Henbit is native to North Africa, Europe, and western Asia but also grows in North America today. 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. Here are numerous other ground cover herbs to consider. 2 to 4 short-stalked flowers arising from leaf axils in the upper plant. Heres why to consider alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious edibles instead. Other creeping Charlie uses include treating tinnitus, sciatica, bruises, indigestion, tuberculosis, bronchitis, inflammation of the eyes, and lead poisoning, among many other conditions. Best of luck! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Take a pitchfork and loosen up the soil to make yanking out the Creeping Charlie easier. To this day, it is considered one of the most difficult . It also releases an aromatic scent when stepped on or brushed against. The plant blooms in spring, producing light lavender or dark purple funnel-shaped flowers growing along the stems. It is an evergreen, perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family (mints). . Please see our privacy policy for more details. They were right, but this rapidly spreading invader soon became an aggressive nuisance plant to homeowners and gardeners across the country. Love learning about medicinal herbs? 1 /48. If you do notice regrowth, pull all the small shoots of the plant before they have time to establish an extensive root system. The heart-shaped, scalloped leaves change to green further down the short green stem. It's an annual weed that often shows up in the cooler months. But Dichondra is smaller and prefers shady moist areas of the lawn. 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. Is it a wonder that ground ivy is hard to manage? Heres what to know about the many different ways you can try preserving herbs. A look alike to creeping Charlie but much worse! It is a plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Mature plants do not exceed more than 10 inches in height. The stems and leaves have needle-like hairs. However, the creeping Charlie features scalloped edges on the leaves, while the Creeping Jenny foliage is smooth. 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. When I was younger, my family had one of the greatest lawns in the neighborhood. Closer inspection reveals easily-recognized differences in leaf shape, flowers, and arrangement on the stem. They do not usually grow more than 10 inches (25 cm) in height. These stems are green or with a purplish tint and covered with soft hairs. Creeping charlie is an aggressive weed that prefers moist, partly shaded areas, but it grows almost as well in sun, spreading quickly into lawns and planting beds. Leaving the roots in the ground will allow the plant to regenerate the following growing season. Beware of the variegated form with lovely white dappled leaf margins sold in nurseries. The common garden weed creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) has many overlooked medicinal and edible uses. Due to the shape of its leaves and the way it grows, it is sometimes confused with creeping Charlie, especially when the plants are young, before blooming. 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! Ground ivy, also known as Creeping Charlie, is a sprawling ground-cover vine in the mint family. Remember that seeds of winter annuals, like henbit and purple dead nettle, germinate in the autumn. The flowers have a unique strategy for rewarding visitor pollinators, commonly referred to as the "lucky hit" strategy. On a 16-acre turf research facility at the . Because ground ivy roots readily from fragments, its really hard to eradicate completely, another reason to consider making friends with it. . Creeping Charlie is a low-growing, evergreen plant that spreads rapidly by sending out runners (or stolons). A close cousin of purple dead nettle is henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Right: Creeping Charlie, rounded leaf margin Fruits / Seeds. Make sure you mix the herbicide with water to the manufacturers specifications. It is also known as Jack-by-the-edge, Garlic Root, Hedge Garlic, and Poor Mans Mustard. However, henbits leaves are not as glossy as those of creeping Charlie, and its flowers are pink or purple, not dark purple. Also known as Gerber Daisy, Gerbera jamesonii is a lovely plant with red flowers that look like sunflowers. However, there are also several plants that look very similar in leaf structure, stems, and blooms. Their red flowers get up to 4 inches across. It also grows in landscapes, waste places, and disturbed sites, on both acidic and alkaline soils, and is common throughout the US. Dichondra is a Dollar Weed look-a-like. Some say ground ivy can be eaten like spinach in soups and casseroles, just proceed with caution. is an aquatic mint found in subtropical regions. One is the single line of hair on the stems. Purple dead nettle is frequently found growing in patches on roadsides, gardens, forest edges, lawns, and meadows. Hoffman recommends gathering leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in tinctures and tea. When not in bloom, it is still easy to differentiate thanks to its growth . Dollarweed. Then a different management approach is needed. Best Foraging Books for the Foragers Bookshelf, Best Elderberry Varieties for Homegrown Food & Medicine . Then you need to find some creeping charlie! Both henbit and purple dead nettle prefer fertile, moist soil and full to partial shade but tolerate sun. Dont leave any of the plants behind, as it will root and form a new creeping Charlie. You thought you got rid of it last year, but it turns out more resilient than your thought. Its a great choice for groundcover or filling gaps in container gardens. > Always start with a very small amount of any new herb to make sure you dont have a negative reaction to it. After a few weeks, the plant dies but youll need to ensure that you cover the plant thoroughly because they still thrive in the shade. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Lawn Weed Identification - Three Weed Groups. Studies indicate it is also strongly antibacterial. Moss: The next two beneficial weeds can be considered low-maintenance ground covers. 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. Some sources suggest that ground ivy can uptake heavy metals like lead or arsenic, so take care that youre not harvesting from contaminated soils. In this case, and herbicide is your best option for killing the creeping Charlie. Furthermore, the leaves have a dark green topside with a purple or light green underside. You've come to the right place! However, the leaves arent glossy like Creeping Charlie leaves. In addition, some of its parts serve as a herbal remedy or are eaten. But the lack of data doesnt mean a beloved medicinal herb with centuries of folk use doesnt have some valuable properties. Persistence is the key to control of all three. In some parts of the mid-west, it is considered to be the most common and difficult lawn weed to control. Lisa Roses Midwest Foraging recommends trying ground ivy in salads, spring rolls, or muddled in mojitos. Your email address will not be published. Source: gmayfield10. A prime and often cursed at weed of turfgrass and other landscape areas, creeping Charlie is native to Europe and southern Asia but was brought into North America for use medicinally. It earned its name because its sprawling stems resemble the legs of a crab. It gets the common name, dollarweed, from its silver - dollar-shaped leaves. Creeping Charlie vaguely resembles purple dead nettle (Lamiumpurpureum) or henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), which are both also members of the mint family. Each flower soon develops into a slender, straight seedpod called a silique. Dig around the base of the plant using a gardening fork to loosen the soil and roots. 48/48. The fruit is an oval capsule with red-brown seeds inside. Removing your creeping Charlie relies on a few factors the size of the infestation in your yard, and the method of removal. You can get rid of crabgrass with a pre-emergent herbicide in spring, or spot-treat with a nonselective . At a glance, both the plants might look alike. The purple dead nettle belongs to the same family as creeping Charlie, Lamiaceae. Although creeping Charlie is a fairly easy-to-identify weed, there are still a few plants with similar appearance and characteristics. Creeping Charlie, ground ivy, gill-on-the-ground, creeping Jenny - it doesn't matter what name you call it, this is a weed that's difficult to control. Pennywort leaves connect to the leaf stem in the center, not at the edge. Similar to creeping Charlie, parts of purple dead nettle are edible. > Need some gardening gear? Pick a date the week before the first frosts land on the ground. Native to Europe, it was introduced to North America in the 1800s as both an ornamental and a medicinal plant. Purple Dead Nettle spreads through stolons or runners and has scalloped-edged heart-shaped leaves. This method will take forever with large plants and only offers you limited success. It has been introduced to North America, where its now found in many states. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. 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. Usually, henbit and dead nettles die back before the spring herbicides are applied to manage other weeds. Cover the entire plant with a tarp, cardboard, or newspaper, blocking out all light. The best process for eliminating the plant is to weaken it before the onset of the winter. I'm gonna go ahead and add it and if necessary it can be moved. You can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesnt get any sunlight. Thank you. It is also commonly known as red dead-nettle or purple archangel. The stems often branch from the base and can sometimes grow upright. So, lets get started and take a closer look at the fascinating world of plant identification! If you love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, be sure to check out this post covering garlic mustard recipes! When used as directed, it kills broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn. Try some ground ivy salad dressing, recipe from Edible Wild Food. Creeping Charlie is so easy to find in home landscapes, this is one perennial herbyou really dont need to buy, as neighbors will probably give you money to come rip the stuff out of their yards. The leaves grow in opposite pairs across the stalk, are green, kidney-shaped, with serrated edges, and covered with hair. 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. Heres how to make a tincture, a simple way to extract the medicinal compounds of herbs by steeping them in alcohol. I just downloaded a PDF from the IKEA web site. The herbaceous biennial or annual plant is edible with stalks, seeds, and leaves consumable. . Fortunately, we have three methods of getting rid of creeping Charlie from your yard for good. Susun Weed steeps ground ivy in vinegar to use on salads. Its also called ground ivy, run-away robin, field balm, and catsfoot. What are your favorite creeping Charlie uses? They typically range from 1-2 inches across arranged in opposite pairs along the stem. The roots of the creeping Charlie can branch out further than the canopy, and youll need to ensure the tarp covers this far to make the smothering effective. Early in the spring, Lamium amplexicaule produces axillary and terminal purple flowers. Hand-pull ground ivy from landscape beds, taking care to remove as much stem and roots as possible. Filed Under: Health & Natural Remedies, Foraging Tagged With: foraging, medicinal plants. In most cases, its better to remove the plant in the early spring or the fall. Larkie Camilla, GA (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. 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. The leaf shape is round and is sometimes classified as nearly kidney-shaped. For culinary purposes, try using the youngest leaves or the tiny flowers. Contrast that with Dollar Weed that tolerates a wide variety of soils, temperatures . 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. Distribution and Habitat What to do with your bumper crop of creeping Charlie? A well-mulched bed makes it easier to see and eliminate this plant. Creeping Charlie, like some other members of the mint family, contains a compound called pulegone, which is considered harmful if consumed in large amounts. Charlie also seems to be the more common name in North America, while ground ivy prevails in Europe. It rapidly naturalized and is now found everywhere in North America with the . Proper lawn care, especially a higher mowing height, helps manage ground ivy in turfgrass. gingerlily Paxton, FL (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. Creeping Charlie (glechoma hederacea) is a perennial creeping ivy that invades yards and takes over. Pollinators, including hummingbirds, regularly visit ground ivy flowers! It grows well in shady areas and thrives in cool weather. Curious about adding more medicinal plants to your garden? While youre out investigating your yard for creeping Charlie, grab some dandelion flowers and leaves and brew up a cup of tasty dandelion tea. Anna is passionate about flowers, nutrition, organic food, and everything related to gardening. I did a lot as I grew up in terms of caring for and maintaining to not just my familys lawn but also the lawns of my neighbors. This article addresses how to manage them. The most common one looks like a coarse, light green clump of grass. That's right, there are several Creeping Charlie look-alikes that can be mistaken for this pesky weed, causing confusion and potentially leading to misidentification. Carefully spray the poison on top of each plants leaves. Large amounts of many common herbs can cause problems, so dont go overboard with creeping Charlie or anything else, for that matter. But did you know that there are other plants out therethat look like Creeping Charlie? The flowers have five petals with a white and purple combination of colors. Often mistakenly called Dollar Weed, this is Dichondra. As with any herb, you always want to make sure you dont have an adverse reaction before consuming in quantity. : Help Your Plant Bloom, How Long Does It Take Clover to Bloom? Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. How to Kill Creeping Charlie Using Herbicide. 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