Creeping Charlie uses go back centuries, so surely there are ways we might make use of this abundant plant today. Common Mallow (Malva Neglecta) is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. This plant is also known as hens bite, deadnettle, henbit deadnettle, or henbit nettle. Disclaimer: Im a health & green living enthusiast, not a medical professional. 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. Incredibly lush and green. It is. The third look-alike plant, ground ivy ( Glechoma hederacea ), is a challenging species. Its also called ground ivy, run-away robin, field balm, and catsfoot. Creeping Charlie produces bright green, round or kidney-shaped leaves that have scalloped edges. Please enter your email address below to create account. Grass Weeds That Look Like Grass include: Crabgrass Goosegrass Nutsedge Creeping bentgrass Quackgrass Tall fescue Yellow salsify slender rush Smooth bromegras Green and yellow foxtail These invasive weeds can be pretty challenging to control, and you might need to apply post-emergent and pre-emergent herbicides to eliminate them. Do you love finding nutritious and delicious wild edibles? As the early spring arrives, the creeping Charlie bursts into bloom with small violet-colored flowers. How to Kill Creeping Charlie Using Herbicide. She suggests seeking leaves with no visible dirt as washing doesnt do much to remove it from the tiny hairs but does remove much of the flavor. If you pull on creeping charlie, you can sometimes chase it quite far (if it doesn't break . It spreads efficiently and quickly through stolons (creeping stems), seeds, or rhizomes. Purple Dead Nettle spreads through stolons or runners and has scalloped-edged heart-shaped leaves. Dispose of the remaining herbicide following manufacturers guidelines. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea ) is a perennial weed in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that features leaves resembling hollyhocks, but on a miniature scale. Early in the spring, Lamium amplexicaule produces axillary and terminal purple flowers. 20 Favorites. Creeping Charlie has a minty smell when mowed or crushed. The hairy calyx is green to purplish and forms a . You have won the battle but not the war. Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. Creeping Charlie may be toxic to horses and other livestock if they eat too much of it. Its flowers provide nectar to pollinators with long tongues. Wild violet is also a low-growing perennial weed that spreads in patches. If youre just wanting to use it medicinally, a tincture might be a good bet if youre averse to creeping Charlies strong flavor. Creeping Charlie is also known as ground ivy and gill-on-the-ground, and is often confused with henbit. Thin, creeping underground rhizomes spread and release chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. Check the area in the early springtime, and after the first rains. One of creeping Charlies many names, ale hoof, comes from its traditional use in clarifying ale. Learn how your comment data is processed. Black plastic may work better, just make sure to cover all of it. Studies indicate it is also strongly antibacterial. Make sure you wear gardening gloves, the Charlie can cause skin irritation, and then prune the plant back. From seed germination to flower blooms to seed. Creeping Charlie ( Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons. Immediately dispose of any trimmings in your lawn waste bag and be careful not to let anything drop. Its also a useful insect repellent, so next time bugs bother you, if you have nothing else at the ready, try crushing some creeping Charlie and rubbing it on your skin. Find Out Today, Actaea Simplex Brunette: Growth and Care Guide, Kumquat Tree Florida: Growth and Care Guide, Cedar Trees in Florida: How to Grow and Care for Cedars, Dahoon Holly Tree (Ilex Cassine): Florida Care Guide. You will see ground Ivy under shrubs and trees, and it thrives in shaded, moist environments. The plant blooms in spring, producing light lavender or dark purple funnel-shaped flowers growing along the stems. The upper lip is notched and extends out, the lower lip is 3-lobed with dark spots and streaks on the large center lobe. It is a plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. The perennial plant has round, bright golden leaves resembling coins and tiny, bright yellow flowers. Note that creeping Charlie leaves have ragged edges. Small pink flowers rise above the burgundy-red upper leaves. The fruit is an oval capsule with red-brown seeds inside. Plants can taste different in different climates and under different growing conditions, so after youve positively identified it, you should taste your local crop of creeping Charlie both fresh and dried to determine how its flavor will work in your next meal or cup of tea. 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. Susannah is a proud garden geek and energy nerd who loves healthy food and natural remedies. However, since the plant has volatile oils in high concentrations, it can harm livestock, especially horses. Heres what to know about the many different ways you can try preserving herbs. If you love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, be sure to check out this post covering garlic mustard recipes! Hand-pulling or hoeing works, but be sure to remove the whole plant, including the fibrous roots, before henbit or dead nettle sets seed. As a matter of fact, yes, creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) is edible. Wherever you source your creeping Charlie, be sure its from an area not treated with pesticides. Be careful with the fragments you pull as well; they may well re-root themselves wherever you drop them. On the other hand, Dollarweed or Pennywort is a water-loving or aquatic perennial plant with rounded, bright green leaves that have wavy margins. Contact her at [email protected] or follow on twitter https://twitter.com/greenholliec. The larger the plant gets, the harder it is to remove. It rapidly naturalized and is now found everywhere in North America with the . Diversity, even in lawns, can be a good thing! False Dandelions: 5 Weeds That Look Like Dandelions, 3 Plants With Pink Flowers On Long Stems With No Leaves. Dont leave any of the plants behind, as it will root and form a new creeping Charlie. Please consult a licensed professional concerning any health condition. Keep it out with a fence or eradicate it entirely. Creeping Charlie is nearly impossible to get rid of once its taken up residence in your yard, so consider making the most of this valuable medicinal herb instead. In its low-growing rosette form, garlic mustard looks like these common plants: fringecup ( Tellima grandiflora) - look for hairy leaves and stems piggy-back plant, ( Tolmiea menziesii) - look for hairy leaves and stems The leaves are produced opposite each other on square (i.e., four-sided), creeping stems that root at the nodes. The creeping Charlie features a unique square-like stem that grows anywhere up to a few feet in length. Pull the creeping Charlie and dispose of the plant in your garden waste bag. However, the reality is that its an invasive weed. It's also sometimes used in containers and hanging baskets because it's easy to grow and looks lovely trailing over the sides of the pot. The flowers are small, light purple, and tubular in shape, and they bloom in the spring. 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. Part of the mint family, creeping Charlie was brought to the U.S. in the 1800s by European settlers who thought the resilient and adaptable plant would provide good ground cover for shaded areas. 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. It is an evergreen, perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family (mints). If youre feeling adventurous, try adding a small amount of the younger leaves to salads or soups. Or check out more than 25 medicinal trees you can forage for medicinal ingredients, like the common ginkgo or birch, which can be used to make ginkgo biloba tea or birch tea. Creeping charlie has a long history of medicinal use. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. Fortunately, we have three methods of getting rid of creeping Charlie from your yard for good. On a 16-acre turf research facility at the . A selective herbicide is the most effective way of killing off that creeping Charlie, preventing it from returning the following year. (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones), Why is My Phlox Not Flowering? Its pink flowers have a much longer tube than dead nettle flowers. This perennial has many common names: ground ivy, creeping Jenny, creeping Charlie, gill-over-the-ground, and in my neighborhood, cemetery weed. This plant is commonly found in semi-shaded or shaded environments, typically under trees. The fully mature leaves are dark green in color and heart-shaped, with scalloped edges. Broadleaf Lawn Weeds. It also grows in landscapes, waste places, and disturbed sites, on both acidic and alkaline soils, and is common throughout the US. Lawn Weed Identification - Three Weed Groups. Keep reading to find out how herbalists recommend using it, as well as recipes for using it as a culinary herb. What are you planning to use it for? Dollarweed. Pull It Out. Your email address will not be published. Youve probably noticed creeping Charlies characteristic scent when youve walked on it or attempted to tear it out. 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}. Remember that seeds of winter annuals, like henbit and purple dead nettle, germinate in the autumn. 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. However, other residents prefer turfgrasses exclusively. 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. Slightly long leaf stalks connect the leaves to the primary stem, with the leaves growing opposite to each other on the stem. Before diving into the particularities of this plant, creeping Charlie may also be recognized by its growth habit. A few calls and plant samples have come in during the past week on control of a broadleaf plant with roundish leaves and purple flowers. 1. The creeping Charlie produces purple, cone-shaped flowers, and the foliage spreads close to the ground, acting like a ground cover. Required fields are marked *. Annual broadleaf weeds - Have a life cycle that lasts only one growing season. The plant also has medicinal uses and, when crushed, is quite fragrant. This herbaceous, annual or biennial plant can be consumed as food. Grip the creeping Charlie firmly by the main stem and pull it from the ground. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) makes one vigorous groundcover thick, tough and adaptable to sun or shade. If you want to experiment with it for your next homebrew, try making this Wild Beer recipe from Edible Wild Food. ), also known as pennywort, is a warm-season perennial weed. We need to tell them apart because ground ivy is . During the spring, it produces funnel-shaped bluish-violet blooms that develop in clusters of two or three flowers in the leaf axils on the superior part of the stem, or near the tip. Found in lawns throughout the United States. 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. Called Scrapsbook, I believe. Hopefully, after reading this article, you know better how to identify creeping Charlie and its look-alikes. Loosen the Soil. creeping charlie is a ground vine (ground ivy) so has a different stem set-up. If the plants are cut down spray the exposed growth. You can also dry creeping Charlie leaves for use in herbal tea. Persistence is the key to control of all three. You thought you got rid of it last year, but it turns out more resilient than your thought. Dollarweed ( Hydrocotyle spp. I draw on numerous sources, some of which are linked above. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast. What an interesting question! Ground ivy, also known as Creeping Charlie, is a sprawling ground-cover vine in the mint family. Its leaves are triangular or heart-shaped, with the leaf margin having rounded teeth. The flowers produce big green seed pods, each containing 4 brownish seeds. : Help Your Plant Bloom, How Long Does It Take Clover to Bloom? Creeping Charlie is in the Lamiaceae family, while Pennywort is in the parsley family. I think unlike the bland and also early Virginia waterleaf, creeping Charlie might be truly revolting in a frittata, but I havent dared to try. Remove the creeping charlie as it regrows. 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. Crabgrass look alikes. It earned its name because its sprawling stems resemble the legs of a crab. However, the leaves arent glossy like Creeping Charlie leaves. Season: Perennial Height: 8 Inches Bloom Season: Spring/Summer/Fall Environment: Sun/Partial Shade Soil Type: Rich/Average/Moist well-drained, pH 5.5-7.5 USDA Zones: 3-10 PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS Sow Indoors: Winter/Spring (4-6 weeks before last frost) Sow Outdoors: Spring/Fall Seed Depth: Surface sowing - press seeds slightly into the soil While Creeping Charlie resembles multiple plants, making it easy to confuse them, you can differentiate it from the rest if you know what to look for. Its leaves, stalks, and seed are all considered edible. 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. Creeping Charlie can cause several problems in gardens. Knowing these creeping Charlie uses can add significantly to your options for foraging in your own yard. 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