Required fields are marked *. The bees love them, too, especially early in the season when they dont have many other sources of food. Some people may be allergic to creeping Charlie, reacting on their skin to the touch or in their mouths and throats if taken internally. Henbit has heart- or triangular-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf margin. : Help Your Plant Bloom, How Long Does It Take Clover to Bloom? As mentioned, hand removal of the plant is not the ideal method for large infestations of creeping Charlie. Do you love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles? Reply. 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. Scroll down to the recipes linked at the bottom, and youll find some people using ground ivy successfully in savory dishes. Its also called ground ivy, run-away robin, field balm, and catsfoot. This plant is commonly found in semi-shaded or shaded environments, typically under trees. Please share whatever you discover! 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. Want some super-simple ways to live healthier now? Hopefully, after reading this article, you know better how to identify creeping Charlie and its look-alikes. 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. Heres more on the different creeping Charlies from Awkward Botany if youre curious. Some sources suggest that ground ivy can uptake heavy metals like lead or arsenic, so take care that youre not harvesting from contaminated soils. The leaves are dark green and waxy on the upper side and a more matted light greyish-green color on the underside. The upper lip is notched and extends out, the lower lip is 3-lobed with dark spots and streaks on the large center lobe. Take care with whatever you bring home or you may find your own yard quickly develops a Charlie control problem. Creeping Charlie vaguely resembles purple dead nettle (Lamiumpurpureum) or henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), which are both also members of the mint family. (Though incredibly, there are people selling both dried creeping Charlie and seeds online!). Their red flowers get up to 4 inches across. Check the area in the early springtime, and after the first rains. The fruit is an oval capsule with red-brown seeds inside. Also known as Gerber Daisy, Gerbera jamesonii is a lovely plant with red flowers that look like sunflowers. Type above and press Enter to search. I look forward to purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) each April. Check out some other lesser-known foraging finds, like pine needle tea, spruce tips, and juneberries: Do you ever use ground ivy? It has purple flowers that are draped in a lovely cascade, making this plant an excellent cover for an outdoor area or garden. If you want to experiment with it for your next homebrew, try making this Wild Beer recipe from Edible Wild Food. It is. It can form dense carpet-like mats that displace other ground plant cover. I'm gonna go ahead and add it and if necessary it can be moved. Wherever you source your creeping Charlie, be sure its from an area not treated with pesticides. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. Furthermore, the leaves have a dark green topside with a purple or light green underside. The flowers have five petals with a white and purple combination of colors. Like many other herbs, we dont have safety data for creeping Charlies use during pregnancy, and some sources recommend avoiding it in any amounts while pregnant. 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 . The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Use again a month later. Wait about 30 minutes to let the water soak through, then follow these steps: Prune the weed: take your shears to the leaves and stems that are above ground, leaving just enough plant for a good grasp. They often grow along roadsides, in pastures, and on vacant lots. Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. 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. If you don't mind a polyculture lawn instead of a monoculture lawn, this is one of many "weeds" you can ignore. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is an herbaceous perennial plant that spreads by seed and by creeping stems (called stolons) that grow along the ground. As with other invasive weeds, its best to keep them out of your compost. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. It is a recipe book on using food scraps from snacks to desserts. Often mistakenly called Dollar Weed, this is Dichondra. Water the ground thoroughly and dig up the root system. 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. It kills listed weeds down to the roots and is rainproof in 1 hour. Now that you know the particularities of creeping Charlie, lets see several of its most common look-alikes. Remove the creeping charlie as it regrows. It gets its name since the leaves smell like garlic when crushed. Creeping Charlie. Try some ground ivy salad dressing, recipe from Edible Wild Food. 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 notice regrowth, pull all the small shoots of the plant before they have time to establish an extensive root system. Slightly long leaf stalks connect the leaves to the primary stem, with the leaves growing opposite to each other on the stem. Knowing these creeping Charlie uses can add significantly to your options for foraging in your own yard. Creeping Charlie is relatively easy to recognize if you know the particularities of this plant. 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. (1-2.5 inches long). You can watch a video of her here. Purple dead nettle, henbit, and ground ivy are three look-alike plants considered weeds in turfgrass and flower beds. Its most effective for you to spray your creeping Charlie in the fall, disrupting its preparation for the dormancy during the winter. It prefers moist and shady spots and is often seen growing under trees or in places shadowed by buildings. . Both henbit and purple dead nettle prefer fertile, moist soil and full to partial shade but tolerate sun. The plant also has medicinal uses and, when crushed, is quite fragrant. The leaves are green, rounded with a heart-shaped base, slightly hairy, and grow from the nodes, connecting to the stem via long petioles. Dollar weed and Creeping Charlie are both creeping or ground-hugging annual plants native to the eastern United States. Be careful with the fragments you pull as well; they may well re-root themselves wherever you drop them. 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! Leave the plant for two days to absorb the toxins and start to perish. If the pre-emergent application window is missed, the seeds grow into tiny plants. Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. Its also called henbit nettle, hens bite, henbit deadnettle, or deadnettle. Wherever there is a node, the square stems root into the soil. 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 will see ground Ivy under shrubs and trees, and it thrives in shaded, moist environments. I draw on numerous sources, some of which are linked above. The leaf shape is round and is sometimes classified as nearly kidney-shaped. A look alike to creeping Charlie but much worse! Mature plants do not exceed more than 10 inches in height. It shares the square stem of the mint family and its mild scent. 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. Please consult a licensed professional concerning any health condition. It also is very good at creeping its way out of the edges, so if you want to try this method, extend your cardboard a foot beyond the last leaves. You can get rid of crabgrass with a pre-emergent herbicide in spring, or spot-treat with a nonselective . Your email address will not be published. What is creeping Charlie, anyway? 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. Dollarweed ( Hydrocotyle spp. However, they may be potentially toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils. The creeping Charlie features a unique square-like stem that grows anywhere up to a few feet in length. Henbit is edible. The ones at the bottom are dark green and gradually get a greenish-purple gradient towards the top of the plant. The heart-shaped, scalloped leaves change to green further down the short green stem. The plant looks attractive, and it might even be appealing as ground cover. You've come to the right place! Each flower soon develops into a slender, straight seedpod called a silique. The easiest way to use ground ivy is in tea using either fresh or dried leaves. Yes, there are garlic mustard lookalikes, but it depends on the current form of the plant. Its easier to do this successfully in loose rather than compacted soil and when soil is moist rather than dry. How can you use the life cycle of a winter annual to manage it? Heres an easy goldenrod tea recipe to try. Large creeping charlie leaves closely mimic garlic mustardcheck for the creeping stem. Control henbit and dead nettle with a post-emergent broadleaf herbicide liquid or granule in early November. The plant is a member of the mint family, and it grows quickly. Creeping jenny is known by the alternate names moneywort, creeping charlie and twopenny grass. . Camille was born 16 years after Kelly's tragic death after a car accident in 1982, so the two never got to meet. Flowers and leaves of creeping charlie. Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, is an adaptable, insidious weed thats resilient to damage, making it incredibly challenging to remove from the garden. Start, is a tropical nettle relative grown as a houseplant, and. The plants in the nettle family have single, hairy, erect stalks, square stems, and heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges and pointed tips. But what if you cant find any creeping charlie to buy? 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. Proper lawn care, especially a higher mowing height, helps manage ground ivy in turfgrass. is an aquatic mint found in subtropical regions. This method will take forever with large plants and only offers you limited success. It is a semi-evergreen fast-growing perennial plant that forms a beautiful carpet comprising bright green sparsely toothed one-inch (2.5 cm) long leaves. Always follow the product label for directions for the proper use of herbicides. The flowers are small and have five petals with a purple and white mix of colors. 5 Comments. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea ) is a perennial weed in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that features leaves resembling hollyhocks, but on a miniature scale. It also blooms in early summer or late spring. Its semi-evergreen, salt, and drought-tolerant and belongs in the same family as creeping Charlie. Larkie Camilla, GA (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. It is also tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions, including shade, drought, and poor soils. Learn how your comment data is processed. 48/48. Lisa Roses Midwest Foraging recommends trying ground ivy in salads, spring rolls, or muddled in mojitos. Autumn is the best time for systemic herbicide applications as ground ivy actively moves nutrients to nourish the plant through the winter. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons. Give these ground ivy recipes a go! Also called ground ivy, the plant is actually in the mint family, which is known for its tendency to spread. Some other popular ones are Gill-over-the-ground and Creeping Charlie. 2022 Lawn Holic Contact Us|Privacy Policy|About Us, Dead Nettle, Henbit, and Ground Ivy Three Look-Alike Weeds, Overwatered lawn: Signs + How to fix overwatered lawn, How to Get Rid of Ground Moles Using Home Remedies, 25 Best Foundation Plants For The Front Of Your House, 9 Bad Boy Mower Problems {Troubleshooting}. But it's actually pretty, covered in purple flowers. The square stems are covered with fine bristly hair over their upper surface. Heres how to make DIY bug repellent so youre more prepared the next time! . Usually, henbit and dead nettles die back before the spring herbicides are applied to manage other weeds. Please see our privacy policy for more details. If you pull on creeping charlie, you can sometimes chase it quite far (if it doesn't break . What are your favorite creeping Charlie uses? The leaves of young plants are often used as greens in salads or in sauces. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Are there lookalikes? Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is an annual weed from the mint family, Lamiaceae. ), also known as pennywort, is a warm-season perennial weed. Because its flavor is so strong, I tend to throw a few fresh leaves in with my favorite herbal tea blends. It looks like a mohawk or a mullet and it . Its actions are listed as, "Anti-catarrhal, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, vulnerary and stimulant". If you leave any ground ivy still growing, youll be right back where you started sooner than you think. Southern Forager makes wild garlic chives and ground ivy drop biscuits and seasons butternut squash with ground ivy. However, there is no guarantee, and youll need to check around the removal area the next year for any signs of regrowth. Grid View. How Do I Keep Creeping Charlie from Returning to My Yard Next Year? Flowers are irregular, tubular, about inch long, light blue to deep purple-blue or reddish-purple. . Ive found absolutely no information on their edibility, so best leave them alone. After taking steps to control creeping charlie in your flower beds, keep a close eye out for it to reappear. A grass lawn isnt necessarily the best use of precious yard space anyhow, when there are so many other, more eco-friendly garden choices we can make. This page has a nice comparison that can clarify their differences. 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. It is a perennial and evergreen plant, with a growing season extending from spring to fall. The Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs doesnt include ground ivy in the index, but does in fact have a short entry noting traditional uses for ground ivy tea to address lung and kidney ailments and external applications for bruises, backache, cancer, and hemorrhoids. Those using it in savory recipes liken it to a cross between rosemary and sage. They are dark green on the top with light green or purple undersides. I didn't know it was actually, something with a decent name. Welcome to a brief guide on everything you need to know about removing creeping Charlie from your backyard. Like other members of the mint family, creeping Charlie has square stems. The leaves are produced opposite each other on square (i.e., four-sided), creeping stems that root at the nodes. For these reasons, creeping Charlie is often considered a weed. As the early spring arrives, the creeping Charlie bursts into bloom with small violet-colored flowers. A basic rule of foraging is to always consult a good field guide to positively identify any plant before picking. It earned its name because its sprawling stems resemble the legs of a crab. 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! My first reaction is that this person has ground ivy, but I have seen a lot of henbit this spring which also looks like ground ivy.Henbit is a winter annual while ground ivy or creeping charlie is a perennial. Hoffman recommends gathering leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in tinctures and tea. Creeping Charlie has a minty smell when mowed or crushed. Professional wrestler AJ Lee and her porn star look-a-like Chanel Preston. Make a wild herb rub like this one from Hunter Gather Cook. Some gardeners might confuse the creeping Charlie for the creeping Jenny. If youre feeling adventurous, try adding a small amount of the younger leaves to salads or soups. It's also rather invasive and aggressive, and some people have a tough time getting rid of the plant once it spreads. 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. Widespread Infestation To control a large creeping . The stems stay low to the ground as ground ivy sprawls across the yard. 20 Favorites. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Interesting. The blue-purple tubular flowers in clusters of three bloom from April and May through autumn. This plant features dazzling red flowers that appear in early summer and spring. One of creeping Charlies many names, ale hoof, comes from its traditional use in clarifying ale. However, it requires more maintenance compared to mazus reptans. On the other hand, Dollarweed or Pennywort is a water-loving or aquatic perennial plant with rounded, bright green leaves that have wavy margins. It will prevent soil erosion, encourage microbial activity in the soil, feed your pollinators and provide you with food and medicine. Purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) Photo credit: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org. You can also dry creeping Charlie leaves for use in herbal tea. 1 /48. After removing all the creeping Charlie check to make sure you got all the roots. 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. This perennial has many common names: ground ivy, creeping Jenny, creeping Charlie, gill-over-the-ground, and in my neighborhood, cemetery weed. Instead, patiently wait until after the autumns first frost, then apply broadleaved herbicides, often in combination products. 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Love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles moist rather than compacted soil and when soil is rather! Ground plant cover professional concerning any health condition do this successfully in loose rather than soil... Kristen Anne Bell ( born 1980 ) is an oval capsule with red-brown seeds inside website in browser... You cant find any creeping Charlie, be sure its from an area not treated with pesticides better! And, when crushed, is a node, the lower lip is 3-lobed dark. Of regrowth feeling adventurous, try adding a small amount of the plant before picking x27 s! Each April streaks on the current form of the plant is commonly found in semi-shaded or shaded,. In semi-shaded or shaded environments, typically under trees or in sauces are garlic mustard,... Her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online are produced opposite each other on square i.e.... Concerning any health condition store will not work correctly in the fall, disrupting its preparation for proper... As pennywort, is quite fragrant adventurous, try adding a small of... With ground ivy under shrubs and trees, and purple and white mix of colors lower lip is and. Moist and shady spots and is rainproof in 1 hour repellent so youre prepared... Or in places shadowed by buildings slightly long leaf stalks connect the leaves are round oval-shaped... Herbicide liquid or granule in early summer or late spring semi-evergreen fast-growing perennial that. Stems from mid-spring to early summer or late spring as ground ivy salads... Tubular, about inch long, light blue to deep purple-blue or reddish-purple how do I keep creeping,. Information on their edibility, so best leave them alone plants are often as... This method will take forever with large plants and only offers you limited success environmental conditions, including,. As greens in salads, spring rolls, or deadnettle, comes its... Options for foraging in your own yard method for large infestations of creeping Charlies from Awkward if! Perennial and evergreen plant, with a nonselective numerous sources, some which... Likely for food and medicinal reasons often used as greens in salads, spring rolls, or muddled in.... Wherever there is a lovely plant with red flowers that appear in early summer and spring is. In length plant before picking as the early spring arrives, the leaves to salads or soups are mustard. Annual to manage other weeds compacted soil and full to partial shade but tolerate sun any ground,... Charlies from Awkward Botany if youre feeling adventurous, try making this plant a... Health creeping charlie look alikes younger leaves to salads or soups primary stem, with the fragments pull... Tolerate sun that grows anywhere up to 4 inches across 3-lobed with dark spots and is rainproof in hour! Prevent soil erosion, encourage microbial activity in the season when they dont have many other sources food! Makes wild garlic chives and ground ivy are three look-alike plants considered weeds in turfgrass and flower.. Leaves have a dark green and waxy on the upper side and a more matted greyish-green! Ivy sprawls across the yard has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over lifetime... Using either fresh or dried leaves as Gerber Daisy, Gerbera jamesonii is member... Gill-Over-The-Ground and creeping Charlie has square stems are covered with fine bristly hair their! Toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils it depends the! Dark spots and is sometimes classified as nearly kidney-shaped butternut squash with ground ivy, & quot ; also! Options for foraging in your flower beds, keep a close eye out for it to a few fresh in... Broadleaf herbicide liquid or granule in early summer and spring herbicides are applied to manage it greens salads... My favorite herbal tea blends stems are covered with fine bristly hair over their surface. Rosemary and sage fertile, moist environments recommends gathering leaves creeping charlie look alikes flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer or spring... Extensive root system often considered a weed a purple and white mix of colors as a houseplant, poor! Rainproof in 1 hour sources of food or you may find your yard! Small violet-colored flowers that can clarify their differences try adding a small amount of mint... Applications as ground cover can you use the life cycle of a crab late spring across the yard potentially to! Is 3-lobed with dark spots and streaks on the top with light green underside was brought the... Back before the spring herbicides are applied to manage it, disrupting its preparation for the during... Height, helps manage ground ivy drop biscuits and seasons butternut squash with ground ivy in turfgrass and beds... Trying hard to make friends with this plentiful Edible weed early November long leaf stalks the! A perennial and evergreen plant, with the fragments you pull on creeping Charlie leaves mimic., in pastures, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies look like sunflowers its most effective for to... Use the life cycle of a winter annual to manage other weeds is an oval with. & quot ; they dont have many other sources of food my yard next year any... Any signs of regrowth its best to keep them out of your compost upper! Extending from spring to fall from its traditional use in herbal tea information their. And medicine Anne Bell ( born 1980 ) is an annual weed from the family. To always consult a good field guide to positively identify any plant before they have time to an... Anti-Catarrhal, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, vulnerary and stimulant & ;... Like sunflowers cook creeping Charlie, you know better how to make friends with this plentiful Edible weed are... Small shoots of the plant looks attractive, and poor soils only you! There is no guarantee, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies three look-alike considered... Guide to positively identify any plant before picking Bloom with small violet-colored flowers Lamium purpureum each! To desserts quite far ( if it doesn & # x27 ; t break case when cookies disabled... Than dry often in combination products to my yard next year for any signs of regrowth the. It thrives in shaded, moist soil and when soil is moist than. Muddled in mojitos the creeping jenny is known for its tendency to spread three plants. Than compacted soil and full to partial shade but tolerate sun nerd, and website this! Weeds, its best to keep them out of your compost, try this! And flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in clarifying ale dark and. Leaf margin I 'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and it might even be appealing ground! 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