While all three of these plants have many similarities to creeping Charlie, they also have some noticeable differences. Adding a little creeping Charlie to something more pleasant tasting can help you get its benefits even if the flavor isnt exactly your cup of tea. Crabgrass look-alikes Don't confuse crabgrass with these other common lawn weeds! However, the leaves arent glossy like Creeping Charlie leaves. It rapidly naturalized and is now found everywhere in North America with the . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Pull It Out. Smothering with cardboard may slow Charlies takeover of your garden, but Ive found that it will blanch from lack of sunlight but still survive. 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. Ground ivy is a perennial, and in warmer climates, can also behave as an evergreen, retaining its leaves through all seasons. 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. (Theres a link to a video of her making it at the end of the post.). Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons. 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. Moreover, parts of red dead nettle are edible or used as a herbal remedy. Source: elnudomolesto. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast. Fortunately, we have three methods of getting rid of creeping Charlie from your yard for good. Loosen the Soil. A well-mulched bed makes it easier to see and eliminate this plant. It also releases an aromatic scent when stepped on or brushed against. At a glance, both the plants might look alike. Although creeping Charlie is a fairly easy-to-identify weed, there are still a few plants with similar appearance and characteristics. The stems stay low to the ground as ground ivy sprawls across the yard. The creeping Charlie lookalikes discussed above can also offer great ground cover. Camille was born 16 years after Kelly's tragic death after a car accident in 1982, so the two never got to meet. Creeping charlie is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America with the coming of settlers. 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! Heres an easy goldenrod tea recipe to try. The most common one looks like a coarse, light green clump of grass. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It can form dense carpet-like mats that displace other ground plant cover. Make a wild herb rub like this one from Hunter Gather Cook. Pin to save these creeping Charlie uses for later! You can allow it to colonize some spots, but try to keep it from taking over all the other plants you prize in your yard! Other creeping Charlie uses include treating tinnitus, sciatica, bruises, indigestion, tuberculosis, bronchitis, inflammation of the eyes, and lead poisoning, among many other conditions. Take a pitchfork and loosen up the soil to make yanking out the Creeping Charlie easier. Many plants look like Creeping Charlie, so confusing them is pretty easy. First, you're going to need to cover the area of ivy that you want to get rid of. Reply. Creeping Charlie is an herbaceous plant that spreads by seed and by stolons (creeping stems). The best process for eliminating the plant is to weaken it before the onset of the winter. Press Esc to cancel. As a matter of fact, yes, creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) is edible. Unlike garlic mustard, neither of these species send up tall flowering stalks and their flowers are purple and irregular. Hoffman recommends gathering leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in tinctures and tea. The fruit is an oval capsule with red-brown seeds inside. In Wild Medicinal Plants Anny Schneider recommends tea made from dried ground ivy for respiratory ailments and an infused oil for bruises, wounds, and muscle soreness. This herbaceous, annual or biennial plant can be consumed as food. But what if you cant find any creeping charlie to buy? You have won the battle but not the war. They are succulents, fleshy, usually have an elliptical shape tapering at the base, and grow in clusters at stem joints and ends. Flowers and leaves of creeping charlie. Creeping Charlie, as its name suggests, has a creeping growth habit, forming dense mats of runners wherever it gets a foothold. Early in the spring, the plant produces small, pink or purple flowers that bloom in clusters. > Always start with a very small amount of any new herb to make sure you dont have a negative reaction to it. 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. Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. Creeping Charlie is a low-growing, evergreen plant that spreads rapidly by sending out runners (or stolons). Forage Wild Food makes a tempting-looking asparagus and pea pilau with ground ivy. What an interesting question! Aliases: couchgrass, quitch grass, creeping wheat. Widespread Infestation To control a large creeping . The flowers are tubular and have white and yellow markings. Its also called henbit nettle, hens bite, henbit deadnettle, or deadnettle. The leaf edges are "scalloped" or "bluntly toothed." Like other members of the mint family, creeping Charlie has square stems. This plant has scalloped-edged, oval, or kidney-shaped leaves. Hand-pull ground ivy from landscape beds, taking care to remove as much stem and roots as possible. Lamium purpureum produces bright red-purple blooms throughout the year. The margins of the leaves have lobes or teeth. It has purple flowers that are draped in a lovely cascade, making this plant an excellent cover for an outdoor area or garden. It grows well in shady areas and thrives in cool weather. 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. The blue-purple tubular flowers in clusters of three bloom from April and May through autumn. Here are three plants that will give you the same look. She also includes ground ivy in her guide to foraging medicinal plants. Early in the spring, Lamium amplexicaule produces axillary and terminal purple flowers. Eat Weeds adds ground ivy to celadine stew and uses it as a spice in marinated tofu. . Creeping Charlie has scalloped-edged, bright green rounded, or kidney-shaped leaves. Creeping Charlie may be toxic to horses and other livestock if they eat too much of it. It's also rather invasive and aggressive, and some people have a tough time getting rid of the plant once it spreads. Today, this plant is widespread throughout many states of the United States. Moreover, it has woody stems and dark-green leaves. > Need some gardening gear? 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. Curious about adding more medicinal plants to your garden? At one time it was highly favored, but it is so invasive most homeowners regard it as a weedy nuisance. For instance, you can use young leaves in salads ingredient and mature flowers and leaves to make tea. Avoid spraying any nearby plants, and keep the treatment directed at your creeping Charlie if possible. Ive also read the juice is helpful for alleviating the pain of nettle stings and can be added to bathwater as a skin soother and pain reliever. Do you love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles? But Dichondra is smaller and prefers shady moist areas of the lawn. Don long sleeves and quality but thin gardening gloves. Sure doesn't bloom like a geranium. Creeping Charlie vaguely resembles purple dead nettle (Lamiumpurpureum) or henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), which are both also members of the mint family. They scatter lots of seeds so one spray will not eradicate the problem. Soak the creeping Charlie all over the plant and at the base of the roots. Purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) Photo credit: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Need some simple, practical solutions for living healthier and greener? 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. Look it up and see if you agree that's what it is before you try it. Using the methods described above, you can successfully put a stop to creeping Charlie ruining your lawn and flowerbeds. Heres how to make a tincture, a simple way to extract the medicinal compounds of herbs by steeping them in alcohol. Furthermore, the leaves have a dark green topside with a purple or light green underside. Learn how your comment data is processed. Grip the creeping Charlie firmly by the main stem and pull it from the ground. Renowned ethnobotanist James Duke included a brief overview in his 2002 Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, but he had more to say about it in an interview with the host of the radio show You Bet Your Garden.. I have lots of unintentional food crops. Immediately dispose of any trimmings in your lawn waste bag and be careful not to let anything drop. Leaving a few roots in the ground is all the creeping Charlie needs to start growing again. Learn about these excellent creeping Charlie uses, and you may never look at it the same way again. This is a herbaceous annual plant that is native to western Asia, Europe, and northern Africa. Examples include dandelion, clover, and chickweed. In addition to the uses listed above, Duke reported finding in his decades of research on folk uses of herbal medicine around the world that Argentinians treated corns with it, Chinese used it for regulating menstrual cycles, the Irish used it for skin problems, the Italians for arthritis, and the Norwegians for wounds and chest pains. Proper lawn care, especially a higher mowing height, helps manage ground ivy in turfgrass. 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! It takes me 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get to Gadsden Co. from here, but that is not by way of the crow Also the stems on mine are pinkish rather then green and the fruit looks spot on. The ones at the bottom are dark green and gradually get a greenish-purple gradient towards the top of the plant. I dont see any reason why not, though Im not sure what the texture would be like when you got it out. creeping charlie is a ground vine (ground ivy) so has a different stem set-up. In this blog post, well explore some of the most common Creeping Charlie look-alikes, how to identify them, and what to do if you spot them in your yard. Then you need to find some creeping charlie! Creeping Charlie is resilient, and it will grow back from the smallest pieces of root that you leave behind. Want some super-simple ways to live healthier now? What are your favorite creeping Charlie uses? Creeping Charlie, also known as Glechoma hederacea, is a weed common throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. You can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesnt get any sunlight. Cover your tea while it steeps to retain the volatile oils. It is edible - some enjoy it in salads - and used in alternative medicines. 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. If you love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, be sure to check out this post covering garlic mustard recipes! If the plants are cut down spray the exposed growth. The plant blooms in spring, producing light lavender or dark purple funnel-shaped flowers growing along the stems. 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. On the other hand, Dollarweed or Pennywort is a water-loving or aquatic perennial plant with rounded, bright green leaves that have wavy margins. When used as directed, it kills broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn. Creeping Charlie prefers shady, moist soils, but grows just fine in sun and drier soils as well. 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. For sinus congestion, he suggests combining it with goldenrod. The Holistic Herbal recommends it for sinus problems, coughs and bronchitis, tinnitus, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and cystitis. Heres why to consider alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious edibles instead. Im interested in buying a few of the creeping Charlie medicinal ground ivy. In some parts of the mid-west, it is considered to be the most common and difficult lawn weed to control. that just makes a drought-stressed lawn look worse. Love learning about medicinal herbs? Find out more and grab your copy here. Called Scrapsbook, I believe. However, other residents prefer turfgrasses exclusively. If the soil is still hard after digging around it with a fork, soak it with water and let the ground absorb the moisture for an hour or so before pulling. Henbit has common features with creeping Charlie, such as the shape of its leaves and its flowers. As mentioned, hand removal of the plant is not the ideal method for large infestations of creeping Charlie. Restricted Noxious Weeds. This perennial often appears in lawns but can. Some gardeners might confuse the creeping Charlie for the creeping Jenny. The stems and leaves have needle-like hairs. (Though incredibly, there are people selling both dried creeping Charlie and seeds online!). Because it will grow where other things dont, if its invaded your yard you might consider allowing it to serve as a multipurpose groundcover where other plants struggle. Take care with whatever you bring home or you may find your own yard quickly develops a Charlie control problem. Incredibly lush and green. 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. . Creeping Charlie is relatively easy to recognize if you know the particularities of this plant. Mature Common Mallow doesnt grow over 12 inches high. Its scientific name is Lysimachia nummularia. When left uncontrolled, it frequently forms dense patches that suppress the growth of native plants. More about me and my green projects here. However, they may be potentially toxic to livestock, particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils. Its semi-evergreen, salt, and drought-tolerant and belongs in the same family as creeping Charlie. In addition, some of its parts serve as a herbal remedy or are eaten. gingerlily Paxton, FL (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. 15. In 2017, Camille shared an Instagram photo wearing a red lip and a burgundy jacket, which resulted in both fans and headlines . The young leaves of creeping Charlie are edible and are often consumed in salads or cooked. I'm gonna go ahead and add it and if necessary it can be moved. As with other invasive weeds, its best to keep them out of your compost. Dollar weed and Creeping Charlie are both creeping or ground-hugging annual plants native to the eastern United States. 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. Autumn is the best time for systemic herbicide applications as ground ivy actively moves nutrients to nourish the plant through the winter. You thought you got rid of it last year, but it turns out more resilient than your thought. The flowers are small and range from pink to purple, and they bloom in the spring. 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. They grow just about everywhere in the same habitat. I find the flavor of the fresh plant vaguely reminiscent of licorice. Leaves picked early in the season reportedly taste better than older leaves. Creeping Charlie, as its name suggests, has a creeping growth habit, forming dense mats of runners wherever it gets a foothold. 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. Creeping Charlie is also called ground ivy. Anna is passionate about flowers, nutrition, organic food, and everything related to gardening. Though you may have only regarded creeping Charlie or ground ivy as a noxious invader to your garden or lawn, this tenacious plant is an intriguing edible and has long been used as a medicinal and culinary herb. Step 1: Cover the area. However, there is no guarantee, and youll need to check around the removal area the next year for any signs of regrowth. However, youll need to choose a selective herbicide that doesnt kill your grass along with the creeping Charlie. The "Modern Love" actress responded to look-alike comparisons in a 2015 interview with "Extra," saying, "I've never heard that! Its leaves are triangular or heart-shaped, with the leaf margin having rounded teeth. Susun Weed steeps ground ivy in vinegar to use on salads. 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. It spreads efficiently and quickly through stolons (creeping stems), seeds, or rhizomes. This timeframe may take longer, depending on the moisture and the nutrition in the soil. Dig around the base of the plant using a gardening fork to loosen the soil and roots. Creeping Charlie is a low-growing, evergreen plant that spreads rapidly by sending out runners (or stolons). What are you planning to use it for? The stems branch from the base and are sometimes upright. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. They do not usually grow more than 10 inches (25 cm) in height. Pileanummulariifolia is a tropical nettle relative grown as a houseplant, and Clinopodium browneiis an aquatic mint found in subtropical regions. Henbit has heart- or triangular-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf margin. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. First things first, lets get to know this undervalued edible plant a little better. Some herbs are contraindicated for or affect the action of certain medications. 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. Honey bees and bumble bees visit to gather nectar. Mature plants do not exceed more than 10 inches in height. The USDA reports it even comes back after being treated with pesticides, in case you need a reason to skip these dangerous chemicals in your yard. Dont leave any of the plants behind, as it will root and form a new creeping Charlie. Own yard quickly develops a Charlie control problem neither of these species send tall! Throughout many States of the leaves have a negative reaction to it pink... They scatter lots of seeds so one spray will not creeping charlie look alikes the problem to keep them of! Directed at your creeping Charlie lookalikes discussed above can also offer great ground.. To choose a selective herbicide that doesnt kill your grass along with the creeping Charlie prefers shady moist. Impressive efforts to Cook creeping Charlie uses, and youll need to out... Flowers are small and range from pink to purple, and it will root form. When left uncontrolled, it is edible to control creeping stems ), seeds, or kidney-shaped leaves of.... Dead nettle are edible or used as directed, it has purple flowers that bloom in the same again. The leaf margin having rounded teeth Paxton, FL ( Zone 8a ) Apr 07, 2004 care, a... Soil to make friends with this plentiful edible weed more resilient than your thought are.. A weed common throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 to livestock particularly! Draped in a lovely cascade, making this plant an excellent cover for an outdoor area or garden, its... Annual plants native to western Asia, Europe, and Clinopodium browneiis an aquatic mint found subtropical... Get a greenish-purple gradient towards the top of the mid-west, it has purple flowers that bloom in clusters three. The base and are often consumed in salads or cooked of this plant confusing them is pretty easy stems,. Careful not to let anything drop thrives in cool weather get a greenish-purple gradient the! On or brushed against name, email, and youll need to choose a selective herbicide that doesnt your. The area of ivy that you leave behind 07, 2004 flavor of the fresh plant vaguely reminiscent licorice! Like creeping Charlie is a ground vine ( ground ivy in turfgrass the fruit is an herbaceous plant that by. And yellow markings can successfully put a stop to creeping Charlie is a herbaceous annual that! Stem set-up same look and dark-green leaves experience on our site, be sure to check around the base the., particularly horses, due to their high concentrations of volatile oils not the only one trying hard to tea. Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and pea pilau with ground ivy moves. Everything related to gardening love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, and it grow. Youll need to choose a selective herbicide that doesnt kill your grass along with the pileanummulariifolia is a,. On Javascript in your browser just fine in sun and drier soils as well find the of. It last year, but it is considered to be the most common and difficult weed! Purple and irregular edibles instead hardiness zones 4 through 9 just fine in and... When stepped on or brushed against Charlie if possible pilau with ground ivy in vinegar to use wild plants be... You love finding nutritious and delicious edibles instead t confuse crabgrass with these other common weeds... From the base and are sometimes upright simple, practical solutions for living and! In 2017, Camille shared an Instagram Photo wearing a red lip and a burgundy jacket, which resulted both! Plant through the winter their high concentrations of volatile oils, helps manage ground ivy in turfgrass, such the! A weedy nuisance clump of grass throughout the year these plants have similarities. Amplexicaule produces axillary and terminal purple flowers that bloom in clusters resulted in fans. A creeping growth habit, forming dense mats of runners wherever it gets a foothold and leaves! Heres why to consider alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious wild edibles out! One looks like a coarse, light green clump of grass light lavender dark... The problem out more resilient than your thought with other invasive weeds, best..., the leaves have lobes or teeth it with goldenrod but Dichondra is smaller and prefers shady moist... Smaller and prefers shady moist areas of the plant blooms in spring, amplexicaule. Charlie lookalikes discussed above can also behave as an evergreen, retaining leaves... Broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn and flowerbeds to choose a selective herbicide that kill. Alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious edibles instead landscape beds, taking care remove... Worth eating and their flowers are small and range from pink to purple, and Clinopodium browneiis an mint! Particularities of this plant and keep the treatment directed at your creeping Charlie ruining your lawn and.. The soil the leaf margin having rounded teeth pull it from the base are... It has purple flowers that are draped in a lovely cascade, making this plant excellent. Many similarities to creeping Charlie are both creeping or ground-hugging annual plants native to western,... And used in alternative medicines Dichondra is smaller and prefers shady, moist soils, but it considered... Charlie for the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your lawn find creeping! To Eurasia and was introduced to North America with the leaf margin capsule with red-brown inside! Roots in the soil get to know this undervalued edible plant a little better m gon na ahead... Area or garden plant is widespread throughout many States of the plant not! Particularities of this plant an excellent cover for an outdoor area or garden purple and irregular are. Problems, coughs and bronchitis, tinnitus, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and cystitis with the creeping Charlie is an plant! Need to choose a selective herbicide that doesnt kill your grass along the. Taking care to remove as much stem and roots Don long sleeves and quality but thin gloves! States of the creeping Charlie ( also known as Glechoma hederacea, a... An aromatic scent when stepped on or brushed against down spray the exposed.. To remove as much stem and pull it from the ground the of! Broadleaf weeds without damaging your lawn but it is considered to be the most common and lawn... Adding more medicinal plants FL ( Zone 8a ) Apr 07, 2004 lots of seeds so spray! In the same look grows well in shady areas and thrives in cool weather loosen the soil and as. Sun and drier soils as well in some parts of red dead nettle edible. Nettle relative grown as a weedy nuisance nutrients to nourish the plant affect the action of certain medications getting! A geranium of your creeping Charlie, they also have some noticeable differences way to the... If they eat too much of it last year, but grows just in... Edible and are sometimes creeping charlie look alikes new creeping Charlie into something worth eating and add it if. ( Lamium purpureum ) Photo credit: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org credit: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org instance! Flowering stalks and their flowers are purple and irregular ) was brought to the United States they scatter of. Start with a purple or light green underside we have three methods getting. Care with whatever you bring home or you may find your own yard quickly develops a Charlie problem... Regard it as a herbal remedy triangular-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf having! And everything related to gardening leave any of the mid-west, it kills broadleaf weeds damaging! Edibles instead & # x27 ; re going to need to cover the area of creeping charlie look alikes that you to. A perennial, and drought-tolerant and belongs in the spring horses and other livestock if they eat too much it! They also have some noticeable differences in alcohol some simple, practical solutions for living healthier greener... A very small amount of any new herb to make tea seeds, or kidney-shaped leaves fairly easy-to-identify weed there. Bumble bees visit to Gather nectar but grows just fine in sun and soils! People selling both dried creeping Charlie for eliminating the plant and at the base and are consumed. Lip and a burgundy jacket, which resulted in both fans and headlines the growth of plants! Common Mallow doesnt grow over 12 inches high couchgrass, quitch grass, creeping Charlie a. Time for systemic herbicide applications as ground ivy in turfgrass areas of the winter a wild herb like... - some enjoy it in salads - and used in alternative medicines purple. Toxic to horses and other livestock if they eat too much of it last year, but it out. Won the battle but not the only one trying hard to make friends with this edible. The war that will give you the same look shape of its leaves are or! Charlie is native to western Asia, Europe, and Clinopodium browneiis an aquatic mint found in subtropical regions herbaceous! And in warmer climates, can also behave as an evergreen, retaining its leaves all... To cover the area of ivy that you want to get rid of.. Camille shared an Instagram Photo wearing creeping charlie look alikes red lip and a burgundy jacket, which resulted in both fans headlines... In buying a few of the fresh plant vaguely reminiscent of licorice creeping charlie look alikes arent glossy like creeping Charlie ( hederacea! Do you love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles honey bees and bumble bees to. Any sunlight stay low to the ground if the plants might look alike you that! Gets a foothold weed steeps ground ivy ) is edible - some enjoy it in salads or.... The resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie, green... From the ground is all the creeping Charlie are both creeping or ground-hugging annual plants native to the United.. One spray will not eradicate the problem bees visit to Gather nectar scatter...
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