Glechoma hederacea: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Before the discovery of hops, Ground ivy was used in brewing beer. Has been used as a medicinal plant for cleansing of lungs, kidneys, stomach, and bowels by herbalists.
Plant Profile: Glechoma hederacea
Taxonomy: Glechoma hederaceaNames
Alehoffs, Cat's Foot, Creeping Charlie, Field Balm, Gill-over-the-hill, Ground ivy, Ground-ivy, Hay Maids, Runaway Robin
Phonetic Spelling:gle-KOH-muh hed-er-AYE-see-uh
Genus:Glechoma
Species:hederacea
Family:Lamiaceae
Glechoma hederacea, commonly known as Ground Ivy, is a persistent perennial belonging to the mint family. This fragrant, evergreen vine was brought over from Europe and can become quite invasive. It typically thrives in a variety of environments, including roadsides, lawns, shaded areas, neglected spaces, and thickets. The creeping stems of Ground Ivy facilitate its spread, usually reaching a height of about one foot or less. The plant frequently branches out, creating a dense mat of stems and leaves that blankets the ground. In early spring and summer, it produces upright stems that bear flowers. Once flowering concludes, these stems bend downwards and extend along the ground, sometimes reaching lengths of up to 30 inches, where they establish new roots at the nodes.
Ground Ivy thrives in partially sunny locations with moist, fertile loamy soil, particularly in areas with minimal ground cover. Its aggressive growth makes it challenging to eliminate without the use of herbicides. During the hot summer months, the plant may enter a dormant phase.
Regarding pests and diseases, Ground Ivy is not known to suffer from any significant insect infestations or diseases. However, its invasive nature makes it difficult to control.
Glechoma hederacea Feature Summary
Glechoma hederacea Image Gallery
Tags
#evergreen
#invasive
#weed
#weedy
#spreading
#perennial weed
Similar Plants
Glechoma hederacea is often confused with:
Glechoma hederacea Feature Summary
Attributes
Before the discovery of hops, Ground ivy was used in brewing beer. Has been used as a medicinal plant for cleansing of lungs, kidneys, stomach, and bowels by herbalists.
Europe to Russian Far East and China
Canada and all the United States except for New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii.
Provides sping-time nector to long tongued bees and other polinators. Can be an attractive gound cover.
Toxic to horses. Leaves are edible by humans. Can be used to create a medicinal tea or used in soups, jams and other dishes.
Perennial
Seed
Division
Fruit
Upon maturity, each flower is replaced by 4 dark brown nutlets. Each nutlet is ovoid, with 2 flat sides and an outer side that is rounded.
Nut
Brown/Copper
Flowers
Three to seven blue-violet, half inch, tubular shaped flowers in whorls in leaf axis; corolla is two-lipped; lower lip has three lobes. Clusters of flowers develop from the leaf axils. The corolla of each flower is narrow at the base, but flares outward like a trumpet into spreading lobes. There is a notched upper lobe, a notched lower lobe, and 2 smaller side lobes. The lower lobe is larger than the others and functions as a landing pad for visiting insects. It has darker violet lines that function as nectar guides. Within the throat of the corolla, there are fuzzy hairs. Each flower has a single pistil with a divided style, 2 long stamens, and 2 short stamens. The pubescent calyx is about 1/3 the length of the tubular corolla, with 15 veins running along its length and 5 teeth along its outer edge.
Purple/Lavender
Blue
Fragrant
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
< 1 inch
Leaves
Half to 1 1/2 inch long and wide, green leaves. Scalloped edges, round to kidney-shaped with heart-shaped leaves at base. Leaf produces aromatic aroma when crushed. There is a flat indentation where the long petiole joins the base of a leaf. The pubescent upper surface has conspicuous palmate venation.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Simple
Opposite
Orbicular
Crenate
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Stem
The 4-angled stems are prostrate to slightly ascending, and often form rootlets near the axils of the leaves when they touch the ground.
Square
Straight
Hairy
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Weed
Wildflower
Broadleaf Evergreen
Multi-stemmed
Spreading
Creeping
Rapid
High
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Shade Garden
Container
Lawn
Pond
Pollinators
Problem for Horses
Weedy
Invasive Species
Glechoma hederacea Image Gallery
Glechoma hederacea Attributes
Glechoma hederacea: Country Or Region Of Origin
Europe to Russian Far East and China
Glechoma hederacea: Distribution
Canada and all the United States except for New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii.
Glechoma hederacea: Wildlife Value
Provides sping-time nector to long tongued bees and other polinators. Can be an attractive gound cover.
Glechoma hederacea: Edibility
Toxic to horses. Leaves are edible by humans. Can be used to create a medicinal tea or used in soups, jams and other dishes.
Glechoma hederacea: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Glechoma hederacea: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Glechoma hederacea Fruit
Glechoma hederacea: Fruit Description
Upon maturity, each flower is replaced by 4 dark brown nutlets. Each nutlet is ovoid, with 2 flat sides and an outer side that is rounded.
Glechoma hederacea: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Glechoma hederacea: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Glechoma hederacea Flowers
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Description
Three to seven blue-violet, half inch, tubular shaped flowers in whorls in leaf axis; corolla is two-lipped; lower lip has three lobes. Clusters of flowers develop from the leaf axils. The corolla of each flower is narrow at the base, but flares outward like a trumpet into spreading lobes. There is a notched upper lobe, a notched lower lobe, and 2 smaller side lobes. The lower lobe is larger than the others and functions as a landing pad for visiting insects. It has darker violet lines that function as nectar guides. Within the throat of the corolla, there are fuzzy hairs. Each flower has a single pistil with a divided style, 2 long stamens, and 2 short stamens. The pubescent calyx is about 1/3 the length of the tubular corolla, with 15 veins running along its length and 5 teeth along its outer edge.
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Color
Blue
Purple/Lavender
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Glechoma hederacea: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Glechoma hederacea Leaves
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Description
Half to 1 1/2 inch long and wide, green leaves. Scalloped edges, round to kidney-shaped with heart-shaped leaves at base. Leaf produces aromatic aroma when crushed. There is a flat indentation where the long petiole joins the base of a leaf. The pubescent upper surface has conspicuous palmate venation.
Glechoma hederacea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Color
Green
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Glechoma hederacea: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Glechoma hederacea: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Glechoma hederacea Stem
Glechoma hederacea: Stem Description
The 4-angled stems are prostrate to slightly ascending, and often form rootlets near the axils of the leaves when they touch the ground.
Glechoma hederacea: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Glechoma hederacea: Stem Cross Section
Angular
Oval
Round
Square
Glechoma hederacea: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Glechoma hederacea: Stem Buds
Hairy
Hairy tips
Scaly
Smooth/Hairless
Glechoma hederacea Whole Plant Traits
Glechoma hederacea: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Glechoma hederacea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Glechoma hederacea: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Glechoma hederacea: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Glechoma hederacea: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Glechoma hederacea Cultural Conditions
Glechoma hederacea: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Glechoma hederacea: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Glechoma hederacea: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Glechoma hederacea: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Glechoma hederacea: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Glechoma hederacea: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Glechoma hederacea Landscape
Glechoma hederacea: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Glechoma hederacea: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Glechoma hederacea: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Glechoma hederacea: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
