PlantFiles: Creeping Charlie, Gill-over-Ground, Ground Ivy, Hedgemaids, Alehoof
Glechoma hederacea

A pretty plant in bloom, it is a member of the Mint family, and can be quite invasive. Many sources list it as a weed; others are more kindly and describe it as an invasive groundcover. Few nurseries still sell it; if you succumb to its charm, be sure to contain it, and/or plant it among plants that can hold their own with it.

I have used this sucessfully as a groundcover for shady areas where grass didn't do well, e.g., under maple trees, and as a filler for flower beds. I especially enjoy the tiny lavender flowers in the spring.
My Mom didn't appreciate it in her lawn, as it can be invasive, and she was glad to let me have it.

We were introduces to this gorgeous little Orchid-like flower ground cover when we moved to South-Central Pennsylvania. it is a hardy ground cover that few appreciate, possibly because of it's small flower, but mostly because people consider it invasive. We found it a delight! The tiny flowers are exquisite when view up close, and the abundance of leaves creates a cushioned walk during the part of the summer when the ground literally "bakes". We were lucky to find it again in West Virginia as an excellent ground cover for heavily shaded very damp areas, particularly under trees. We use it to fill in at the base of bushes and leggy plants, instead of mulch.
We read some where that it is high in vitamin C, but the same book advised against letting horses graze on it. However, our Hackney Pony and our registered Alpine and Toggenburg Dairy Goats ate it with no ill effects.
The only problem we noted was that it was very difficult to mow the grass without the Gill getting tangled in the mower. If the gill is mowed, it gets ripped out by the roos and can leave giant bare patches in your yard. Jennie

I can also attest to how invasive Glechoma hederacea can be in central Tennessee. Once it gets into a vegetable garden it is a weed that is almost impossible to eradicate. I can see how it could be nice as a groundcover for shade, but be careful where you plant it. It may not be this invasive in all locations.

I hate this plant! When we moved into our house 2 years ago all the existing flower beds were covered with this stuff. With gallons of Roundup and hours and hours of weeding I still have multiple beds to clear and the entire grass to regrow. As soon as a bed is cleared this junk comes right in. Anyone would be complete insane to intentionally plant this unless it is in a large area where you want dense groundcover with lots of room to grow.

This plant took over my compost heap and a substantial portion of the back yard. It resists lawn chemicals and invades quickly when it reaches a border. Its habit of creeping under under whatever foliage is around and popping up a few inches away makes it a challenge to control. (And the new shoots put down their own roots.) It even sneaks under the english ivy. I make a habit of removing it by hand whenever I'm in the yard, and never put it into the compost. However, just when I think I have pulled the last rhizome, it reappears. While the late spring blooms are delicate and attractive, this ivy is too invasive for most gardeners to control. It will quickly smother anything around it if not constantly checked by pulling. An established bed has an unbelievable web of roots that can be very difficult to remove or eradicate.

I love this stuff! I've never seen mine bloom though. It has a very unique smell when the leaves are bruised, almost sage-like. I use it to fill in a bed where I have a few shrubby plants going on the side of my house. This side of the house takes in a full afternoon of direct, 95+ degree heat most of the summer. It does fine here as long as I keep it moist. I like its wild nature and I just let it go. Positives? -fills gaps quickly -low maintenance -herby smell (when close up) -luscious, rich green foliage

This plant seems hell-bent on world domination. It has invaded my entire yard, and adjacent yards. It's no exaggeration when I say that at least 50% of the time I spend tending to my yard and garden is devoted to pulling this insidious weed. And it is not easy to pull either, rooting at every leaf node and tangling with any other vegetation around. It seems to grow back overnight. Even seems to spread during the dead of winter. Puts on phenomenal growth in the spring, I have pulled runners as long as 4'. Slows down just a bit in the heat of summer, unless there are frequent rains in which case it just keeps going. In the lawn weed killers only seem to set it back temporarily and mowing only thickens it up. Mowing it also releases its somewhat unpleasant moldy-minty scent. Large patches of my lawn are dominated by it. Seems to have eyes and heads straight for any beds adjoining the lawn. Equally happy in dense shade as in full sun. The only plant I have found that is capable of pretty much choking it out is Creeping Jenny - Lysimachia mummularia (which itself is becoming somewhat of a problem) but even there it needs pulling until "Jenny" fills in. Definitely at the very top of my worst weeds list! If you plant this you are in for a world of regret. (I never planted it, it seems firmly established as a naturalized invasive in this area.)

The woman who owned our house before my parents bought it (1938), planted creeping charlie. My parents, nor I, have been able to get rid of it. It grows in the worst possible conditions. It doesn't even need soil to grow; it was crawling on the cement patio. After it reached about 5ft I ripped it out. It's extremely invasive; no other plants have a prayer when it's around. I can not caution you enough, once you have it, just know that you will have it forever.

This plant is completely evil. It cannot be killed with Roundup from what I've read. The only treatment, which has given me limited success in control, is using Boron in the form of Borax (the laundry additive). This plant is sensitive to it and will die from an overdose before your lawn will (hopefully). I don't know about your favorite flowers; I have only tried it in lawn areas. It grows in full sun to full shade and I may never rid myself of it. Sure it's got pretty, miniscule flowers and an interesting scent, but poison ivy is a pretty plant, too.

This plant came compliments of a rose bush given me by a family member. I have lived here for 2 years now, and I find that the plant has some very good qualities. It will quickly cover any bare ground that needs to be "greened up" and it is easy enough to control by pulling it up. It will also grow almost anywhere you need it to - shade or sun and needs no feeding or watering. It can be aggresive, but I can keep it in check by pulling up unwanted growth once or twice a year. Its easy to pull up.

I agree completely with everyone who says this plant is evil. We bought our house nearly two years ago. Most of our neighborhood (probably the former owners of our house too) use those chemical spraying places and they don't seem to have it. I'm really not keen on that junk, so this stuff has pretty much taken over our yard.

It's honestly not a controllable plant. It sends out tangled runners all over the place and easily grows in mulch without rooting into the soil. If you rip a bunch out by hand, it will come back almost immediately. In our yard, it seems to prefer the shady, moist areas (it's most heavy there), but it will grow like crazy in full sun areas too.

We're going to try borax or a local company that claims they can control it through organic means. If either of these work well for us, I'll post again.

Hey again. When we were at our local nursery, we spoke to a master gardener from our local extension service about creeping charlie. She said part of the reason most pesticides don't work on it is because the plant coats itself in some sort of substances that basically resists the actual pesticide.

She pointed out a newer pesticide called Weed Free Zone. The company that makes it is Ferti-lome and it's distributed by Voluntary Purchasing Groups [HYPERLINK@www.v-p-g.com] . She said to spray it once it blooms in the spring and repeat a week or two later; spray again after the first hard frost in the fall. She also said that this plant is so incredibly invasive, it will take awhile to completely get rid of it because of its ability to re-seed itself.

My husband sprayed last Saturday. He checked a day or so ago and some of the creeping charlie is starting to die off! Woohoo!

An invasive plant that is now in every bed in the garden. Very easy to initially get lured into letting it go as it has attractive bloom and foliage. Do yourself a favor and ignore these qualities unless you live in a sand pit and have no interest in having other plants. If we wanted to terraform Mars this would be a good plant to send. In about a year it would no longer be called the red planet. Keep it out of your garden at all costs

At first I liked it, now I hate it. It takes over....

I live just North of the NY border in Canada, South of Montreal. I assure you that it also grows here, and is very invasive. It tries to take over my whole lawn which is quite large. Hopeless to try and pull it out. Even killing it does not seem to work. It just finds a way to get back to the same areas.

Yes this plant is enticing with it's orchid like little blue flowers but once planted, you'll have it taking over, and over and over and over.

I would highly recommend thinking this over before you decide to plant or buy this.

I live in a rural woodland area with much shade so my lawn will never look like the picture on the bag of grass seed and there is little point in trying to achieve that. Maybe that is why I don't mind the Gill-over-the-Ground at my place. The flowers are very pretty and it will grow where the grass won't, so it's win-win for me. It isn't a threat to healthy plants or lawns and it pulls up very easily. I tend to leave it alone unless it gets in my way as it will cover the foxtails and dandelions - which I think look much worse in a lawn. It is also medicinal. In England it was known as "painters tea" because workers using lead house paint often used to detox from the lead. I have collected and dried some for my herb cabinet but have yet to make a tea or tincture from it. I will be doing that soon though and will report my results if desired. I guess my point here is to say don't worry, be happy! Gill-over-the-ground is pretty, it's edible and has nice flowers. What more could one ask for a plant most of us didn't purchase and didn't have to plant! ;-) Spending time, energy and money to eradicate it seem wasted to me... why not embrace this lovely little plant for what it is and try to enjoy it?

Here is what one website said about it: Medicinal and edible, a light taste very agreeable in salads. Ground ivy is used in alternative medicine and is an excellent spring tonic, it is an appetite stimulant. It contains a volatile oil which aids in relieving congestion and inflammation of mucous membranes associated with colds, flu, and sinusitis. It is Anti-allergenic, Antibacterial, Anti-flu, Antihistaminic, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Cancer-Preventive, Expectorant, Immuno-stimulant, and Sedative.

Ground ivy tea or juice is well tolerated and can be given to small children. Some of the most valuable plant constituents are 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene, apigenin, beta-sitosterol, borneol, caffeic-acid, ferulic-acid, hyperoside, iodine, luteolin, menthol, oleanolic-acid, rosmarinic-acid, rutin, ursolic-acid.

Ground-Ivy is being studied for use in preventing Leukemia, Bronchitis, Hepatitis, many kinds of cancer, and HIV. The fresh juice or a medicinal tea is used to treat digestive disorders, gastritis, acid indigestion, and diarrhea. It is also beneficial for liver and kidney function, said to relieve gravel and stones. Although results are not conclusive it is being used as an antidote for lead poisoning. Added to bath as an emollient to soften skin and has a sedative effect.

Ground ivy has a long history of use in alternative medicine and as an edible herb, dating back to the first century A.D. it was long considered a panacea (cure-all). Known for it’s hi vitamin C content it is said to be one of the first herb and edible plants brought to the North American continent by early settlers.

Spring Tonic: Steep 2 tsp. of fresh or dried herb in 1 cup water for 10 min. flavor with peppermint or honey to taste take in 1/2 cup doses twice a day.

Colds and flu: Express fresh juice with press. Take in 1 tsp. doses 3 times a day, 1/2 tsp. for children. Use 2 or 3 drops in nose twice a day for sinusitis.

above from: [HYPERLINK@altnature.com]

...from mid-central New Jersey

I have fought this plant for 18 years, and still spend hours to pull it out of the garden. I cannot embrace it as I do nearly all beneficial plants because if I didn't remove it, it would remove (by choking) all other beneficial plants in my gardens. I can pull out every scrap I find and within a week will have enough springing back to make gallons of infusion. HM

We unfortunately have this plant in our lawn and it somehow secretly creeped into the back of one of my beds without me noticing, now I have it back there too. DO NOT PLANT THIS!!!

Totally invasive! Fighting it all the way. Grows through everything.

50 years ago my mother bought home this plant as ground cover for the family yard. The greenhouse owner thought she was craxy to want to buy it and told her so. She wasn't. It covers shady ground beautifully, and when it grows into the lawn, it is an interesting addition that brings the light smell of mint to the chore of mowing. We've transplanted it into all our family yards over the last 30 years because it always feels like home.

I, too, have been working to rid myself of Creeping Charlie, which was in the yard and garden when I bought my house. The first spring here, I admired its blue flowers, but by the end of summer it was a monster a foot deep and was invading my new perennial bed. By the next spring, I was amazed at its expansion, and I knew I had to get rid of it.

RECOMMENDATION FOR REMOVING IT: my experience is that trying to pull it out by had doesn't work, since parts of it are still rooted and they just start the next round of invasion...
BUT I HAVE HAD GOOD SUCCESS USING A SPADING FORK . I sink the fork in next to the plant and LIFT and LOOSEN ALL THE SOIL UNDER THE CREEPING CHARLIE , then am able to carefully lift it out -- runners, roots and all... The best time for me to do this has been when the soil is moist and very workable.
By this method, I have been able to clear it from areas of my perennial bed and -- with a watchful eye for small starts -- keep them from being reinfested.
Sometimes this method has meant lifting perennials, such as irises, which have become tangled with Creeping Charlie -- so I use it as an occasion to lift and divide the plant.
Using the spading fork has been a good method for me, and I think that the time it takes to do the spading, lifting and perennial dividing is probably less than the time I would spend, in the long run, in (unsuccessful) hand weeding...
I also use my spading fork method on other weeds -- not only those that spread by rooting runners, but those which have brittle stems which break when you try to pull them, and those which make shallow clumps. It is also good for loosening the soil around tree seedlings to make them easier to remove root and all...

This plant is a curse. I have tried to eradicate it for years. Pulling doesn't work. It survives the coldest winters and will spread on bare concrete. What I have noticed is that although it will creep into my beds, it doesn't take hold in my shade gardens. Won't grow under Hostas, Ferns etc. But in the barest of sun it runs amok. It thrives in moist but sunny areas. After a summer rain it is a nightmare. It may be enjoyable to some areas but not here. Oh, and it loves mulch.

This plant is always welcome to thrive around me. I love its tiny purple flowers and the wonderful minty scent it gives off when you mow over it. I'd take a natural yard with some Gill-over-the-ground in it any day over an unnatural yard of just plain grass. But then again, I prefer Edible Wild Plants and Wildflowers over the prettiest of tame flowers.

As for its edibility, The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America by Francois Couplan, Ph.D. has this to say.

"The leaves have a peculiar, aromatic smell (reminiscent of mint, of lemon, and the back of the woods) and a slightly bitter taste. They make a pleasant tea and were used to flavor beer in Europe up until the 17th century. They can be added raw to salads or made into aromatic sauces.

Ground ivy contains tannin, an essential oil, a bitter principle, and Vitamin C. It is expectorant, tonic and astringent, and has been used medicinally since Antiquity."

Its many other uses are praised in The Handbook of Native American Herbs by Alma R. Hutchens.

We have Creeping Charlie in our yards. Like others on this site, I have tried to remove it, strand by strand. This year, we read about using Borax. We marked a 4' x 4' area, and sprayed the mixture, according to a website's directions. But, no luck. Perhaps we did not use enough... but if you do use Borax, it's important to read that it can severely damage other plants that are NOT pests. I am not content to let the plant lie -- sometimes I feel like Bill Murray in "Caddyshack", trying to get rid of my lawn pest (or in his case, the pesty animal).

I never though anyone actually bought this plant as a ground cover, here it grows everywhere. I am no longer trying to eliminate it, as it is a futile endeavor, instead I pull out what I can and try to keep the edges clean to prevent it from crawling into the flower beds. Later in the summer, I find that I can pull large amount of it with a 3-prong rake. I read somewhere that it contains large amount of iron so it is desirable to add it to your mulch.

I absolutely hate this horrid weed!. When I first moved in to my new hjouse I planted beautiful sod around my raised beds My neighbors on both sides do not maintain their yards . The elderly ones have a kid who mows (and just my luck) he lets the mower expell all the creeping charlie he mows right into my yard. Its in every raised bed and every grassy area.
I have tried everything to kill it. It loves mulch, shade, sun, whatever, it grows anywhere, and its the first weed to arrive in the spring. I WOULD NEVER PLANT THIS STUFF! I know a landscaper who has to wash his mower blades with bleach before moving to another lawn after mowing over this stuff.. It seems to be the major complaint of everyone in my area.

This weed is neck-and-neck with Bermuda Grass as the most evil weed in the world.

It's prettier than Bermuda Grass, but it grows out of control. It covers everything in its path...growing all over the lawn, thoughout bushes, everywhere. It's impossible to get rid of.

Someone said if you plant this plant be sure you like it because you'll never get rid of it. It's true. I didn't plant it, but it has plagued me in two homes now. I can't imagine anyone planting it on purpose. It won't stay where you plant it...it will spread all over your yard, into the neighbor's yards...and across state lines and country borders! (Possibly, it will even cross the ocean....it's that bad.)

This plants deserves a strong negative. If you're wise, you won't plant it.

I absolutely LOVE this plant - but I will admit in the vegetable garden it is not quite so lovable :). The delicate flowers are lovely, and it's wonderful as a ground cover in shady areas and those places where nothing else will grow. But the real reason I love this plant is I suffer from chronic bronchitis and asthma, and a tea made from ground ivy (1 tsp. ivy to 1 cup boiling water; steep 15 minutes; strain and drink) is one of the best expectorants and antispasmatics I've tried. I consider it simply a misplaced herb -- I know, I'm wierd -- I also love chickweed and plantain.

Cute story about ground ivy. Last summer I was teaching 2 of my grandkids about different natural "herbs", and when we came to the ground ivy, I told them it was also called creeping Charlie -- to which Charlie, then age 4, asked "where's the creeping Salina (his big sister) -- it was just too cute :)

Happy gardening everyone - and try to be kind not only to each other, but also to God's natural herbs.

Creeping charlie is a great groundcover. It is attractive and chokes out other weeds. If you want a semi-wild garden; if you would like to never have to mow lawn again in a shady to part sunny area this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have allowed it to provide a gentle cover even in some of my flower beds to keep other weeds out! i love it!

creepy chuck weed is a better name for the demon spawn,

Whenever I'm overcome with the frustration that comes from trying to keep this plant in check, I think of the early European settlers nearly three hundred years ago, crossing the ocean in tiny fragile crowded ships. They could bring so little with them from home to start life over in this new world. I think of them planting it with so much care--hoping it would survive. Hahahahahahahaha!

Too bad people here didn't have lawns 300 years ago, or they wouldn't have brought it to the U.S.. It is a nasty lawn weed, even here in it's native range. I'm surprised to read here that there is actually a use for it.

This plant is indeed taking over large parts of my garden. It has not actually choked anything out, but it requires vigilant pulling. The smell is delightful, and there are supposed medicinal uses, so this balances the negative, so far.

My concern is that the top section states that some parts of the plant are poisonous, yet many "medicinal uses" are listed. What parts are poisonous? Is a tea made from this plant safe to drink? If I add it to my springtime dandeline wine, will there be some ill effect in the final product?

The flowers look somewhat like tiny foxglove flowers. I know that foxglove was the origin of a potent heart drug, digitalis, and that an overdose of that is lethal. Any relation?

Thanks for any thoughts or answers.

All you creeping charlie lovers are crazy! This is a noxious weed! It should not be used for anything! Who cares if it is a groundcover, there are a lot nicer plants available for that purpose! It is a disguisting weed that makes its way over from your neighbors yard and creeps into you lawn. Then it finds its way into your flower beds and veggie garden. You think you have pulled it out and miss one little peice and its back in 5 days. Yuck, why would anyone want this!

As much as I like its nature to be able to fill an area where grass cannot grow, the aftermath is terrible. We just moved into an older house and the furter third of the yard is filled wit hthis. when you mow it, if does get chopped, but I find that it'll root again if you leave the grass cliping and it over your lawn. In the beginning, I dumped some top soil over the patch in a despret attempt to suffocate it, instead, it was able to grow through the gravel and top soil...I now rake up the clippings and dispose of them in the garbage can, I don't want this in my compost bin!

This plant is real pain in the ***, and as an exotic invasive in the U.S. is irresponsible to plant or encourage. I won't dispute with those rating this plant as a positive that when in flower it is not unattractive, and it certainly does spread as a shady ground cover, but that hardly justifies letting it do so. One person rating this positive said that it didn't invade healthy plantings, but my experience is otherwise. If you could hermetically seal your property, then I'd say knock yourself out. However, you can't and so you need to take responsibility for the impacts of your gardening practices on your neighbors and your locality. G. hederacea can become a problem in wild areas and native plant remnants, and as it spreads by seed you cannot know the impact that encouraging it on your property might have. There are many native, attractive, vigorous ground covers if that is what you want. Wild ginger, some native violets, etc. are much better choices (although they are aggressive too-just a warning if you want a shade garden rather than a monoculture), and better support wildlife that have co-evolved with native plants (e.g., fritillary butterflies and violets).

Herbicides are not supposed to be very effective. I've only tried some of the organically-approved soap-based herbicides and not had much success. They only thing that seems to work at least for a short time is getting down and pulling it up. It will begin reappearing in a month or less, both from runners from any plants you didn't get and from re-growing from roots at the nodes the runners put down that are difficult to get rid of. If you don't get right back at keeping it in check, it will be back to its original population within a few months during the growing season. The borax treatment is something I've not tried, as its impact on the soil and wildlife isn't known at the levels needed.

This plant has choked out my tomatoe plants. I've been trying to get rid of it for years. It's no use. Moving would be easier.

My parents live on abandoned railroad property, and there is NO dirt anywhere except a small patch in the front yard. The fill is called Slag I'm told.. yellow and black patches of grit, no grass will ever grow(we planted a tree once and 3ft below groundlevel was a box car!!!), and a half acre is a lot of land to cover with a layer of dirt. Mom finally stopped pulling the creeping charlie and allowed it to just grow. Voila! Instant low-growing lawn! Now their back yard is green and rarely needs to be mowed!

I don't recommend it to people who live in suburban neighborhoods who want their neighbors to like them, but it works for those of us who have poor soil. I wonder if we could green up Death Valley with it? LOL

This plant is listed on the Minnesota DNR invasive list
"Ecological Threat:
It is not a threat to healthy native plant communities.
Ground ivy grows best in semi-shaded to shaded moist soils and forms a dense mat, smothering other vegetation.
It is a common urban garden weed and grows mostly in disturbed, degraded places.
Ground ivy is found in most of the world of similar climate. It is known to have medicinal properties. "

I've been fighing this for years. I tried a commercial, golf course herbicide that managed only to slow the growth of this vicious, noxious, invasive weed. Unfortunately, I felt this was too toxic of a material to use around people and dogs. The best sure fire method I found was when we dug a foundation for an addition of my house. The excavation of the yard managed to kill off all of it and the house was a perfect mulch. BEWARE OF THIS PLANT

At least this species don't seed itself or it would have been everywhere already. Otherwise at least improvement in sod productivity and in grass seed have reduce the chances of new infections.