The common garden weed creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) has many overlooked medicinal and edible uses. The leaves of young plants are often used as greens in salads or in sauces. Ratings. It is a recipe book on using food scraps from snacks to desserts. If the plants are cut down spray the exposed growth. As a matter of fact, yes, creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) is edible. Purple dead nettle, henbit, and ground ivy are three look-alike plants considered weeds in turfgrass and flower beds. I just downloaded a PDF from the IKEA web site. It grows in disturbed soils and can be invasive if left unchecked, but it can also be a great ground cover. 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. 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. The creeping Charlie likes growing in moist, shady areas of your yard. Creeping Charlie has kidney-shaped to rounded bright green leaves with scalloped margins and which attach to the main stem through relatively long leaf stalks. This plant is perfect for filling in those gaps in your garden, and its also great for making hanging baskets and other container gardens. Cover your tea while it steeps to retain the volatile oils. . Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. Creeping Charlies young leaves are edible, usually cooked or as a salad. The leaves grow in opposite pairs across the stalk, are green, kidney-shaped, with serrated edges, and covered with hair. There have been reports of herbicide resistance in the US since 1975 with most reports for . Creeping Charlie is in the Lamiaceae family, while Pennywort is in the parsley family. Managing them or not managing them is a matter of personal preference. I wasnt either and looked it up. 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. Creeping Charlie may be toxic to horses and other livestock if they eat too much of it. Heres how to make a tincture, a simple way to extract the medicinal compounds of herbs by steeping them in alcohol. You can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesnt get any sunlight. Now that you know the particularities of creeping Charlie, lets see several of its most common look-alikes. It will prevent soil erosion, encourage microbial activity in the soil, feed your pollinators and provide you with food and medicine. To this day, it is considered one of the most difficult . 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. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. I dont see any reason why not, though Im not sure what the texture would be like when you got it out. Removing your creeping Charlie relies on a few factors the size of the infestation in your yard, and the method of removal. Heres why to consider alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious edibles instead. Creeping Charlie was introduced into North America from Europe by early settlers who thought it would be a good groundcover for shade. Creeping charlie is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America with the coming of settlers. Want some super-simple ways to live healthier now? However, youll need to choose a selective herbicide that doesnt kill your grass along with the creeping Charlie. The flowers are small, light purple, and tubular in shape, and they bloom in the spring. Anna is passionate about flowers, nutrition, organic food, and everything related to gardening. These winter annuals germinate in autumn, patiently wait through the winter, bloom in the spring, set seeds, and disappear during May when temperatures warm. Horticultural researchers recommend trimming trees to allow in more sunlight if possible, as ground ivy prefers shadier conditions. Are there lookalikes? Category: Plant identification Creeping Charlie Plant look-alikes. Purple Dead Nettle spreads through stolons or runners and has scalloped-edged heart-shaped leaves. The flowers have five petals with a white and purple combination of colors. It is difficult to eradicate. Then you need to find some creeping charlie! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Creeping Charlie can cause several problems in gardens. She also includes ground ivy in her guide to foraging medicinal plants. This plant is native to the British Isles, but it has been introduced to North America, now considered an invasive species in many states. There are those of us who tolerate or even encourage plant diversity in our lawns. Susannah is a proud garden geek and energy nerd who loves healthy food and natural remedies. They are dark green on the top with light green or purple undersides. Contrast that with Dollar Weed that tolerates a wide variety of soils, temperatures . The leafs top part is dark green with a purple or light green underside. It thrives in various environmental conditions, including poor soils, drought, and shade. Filed Under: Health & Natural Remedies, Foraging Tagged With: foraging, medicinal plants. Thank you. As with any herb, you always want to make sure you dont have an adverse reaction before consuming in quantity. Most things you put in the freezer lose their nutrients and medicinal compounds over time, so I wouldnt leave them in there too long. Common Mallow (Malva Neglecta), also known as Dwarf Mallow, Cheese Plant, Cheeseweed, and Buttonweed, is a flowering plant native to Europe. However, other residents prefer turfgrasses exclusively. Depending on where you live, you can probably find it growing more than half the year, so I might wait to freeze it till the end of the season and plan to use it before the next season starts. These are best managed in late summer or fall rather than in the spring. You mentioned collecting food scrap recipes. Is it a wonder that ground ivy is hard to manage? Ask yourself if these plants really must be managed. As with other invasive weeds, its best to keep them out of your compost. gingerlily Paxton, FL (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. Sure doesn't bloom like a geranium. Related Article: North Texas Flowering Weeds, Creeping charlie look alikes: The Takeaway, How to Revive Dying Impatiens: A Step By Step Guide, What Planting Zone is Illinois in? Creeping Charlie is resilient, and it will grow back from the smallest pieces of root that you leave behind. If youre just wanting to use it medicinally, a tincture might be a good bet if youre averse to creeping Charlies strong flavor. I look forward to purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) each April. From a single weed to a small patch of creeping Charlie, you can spot treat it with Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer Ready-to-Use. Seek medical help if you have a reaction after consuming. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mature plants do not exceed more than 12 inches in height. They are clump-forming tender perennials that bloom up to 4 feet tall. If you landed here because you were searching for ways to kill creeping Charlie, read on to learn why you might want to reconsider. It has a very similar leaf shape with distinct venation, but they are borne from a vine rather than a basal rosette, and its purple flowers look nothing like mustard flowers. Ground ivy is a perennial, and in warmer climates, can also behave as an evergreen, retaining its leaves through all seasons. If you want to remove your creeping Charlie using an herbicide, make sure you do this in the fall, and well before the plant has a chance to seed. Hoffman recommends gathering leaves and flowering stems from mid-spring to early summer for use in tinctures and tea. 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. Similar to Creeping Charlie, purple deadnettle is difficult to control because it can reproduce vegetatively from just a small piece of stem or leaf. Creeping Charlie isnt a nettle. 2 to 4 short-stalked flowers arising from leaf axils in the upper plant. The leaf edges are "scalloped" or "bluntly toothed." So, whats a gardener to do? Henbit is edible. It's an annual weed that often shows up in the cooler months. Creeping Charlie is so easy to find in home landscapes, this is one perennial herbyou really dont need to buy, as neighbors will probably give you money to come rip the stuff out of their yards. Stay strong and confident. Restricted Noxious Weeds. Lawn Weed Identification - Three Weed Groups. This is a broad leaf weed, not sure of the name, that is most associated with wet ground, like when there is poor drainage. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is an annual weed from the mint family, Lamiaceae. It kills listed weeds down to the roots and is rainproof in 1 hour. Here are some of thebest foraging books Ive found, full of loads more delicious wild edibles and useful medicinal plants. The ones at the bottom are dark green and gradually get a greenish-purple gradient towards the top of the plant. The leaves of dollarweed are round, bright green, fleshy, and look like miniature lily pads measuring 1-2" in diameter with a scalloped edge. Remove the creeping charlie as it regrows. creeping charlie is a ground vine (ground ivy) so has a different stem set-up. However, it requires more maintenance compared to mazus reptans. How to Kill Creeping Charlie Using Herbicide. 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. Some gardeners might confuse the creeping Charlie for the creeping Jenny. Disclaimer: Im a health & green living enthusiast, not a medical professional. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. However, the leaves arent glossy like Creeping Charlie leaves. It can take over disturbed areas and is considered weedy in urban gardens and turf lawns. From seed germination to flower blooms to seed. Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant with four-petal white flowers and heart-shaped, triangular leaves that have toothed edges. What an interesting question! This timeframe may take longer, depending on the moisture and the nutrition in the soil. When you see it appear, youll have to take immediate action to remove it, or the next time you look at it could be too late. Hand-pull ground ivy from landscape beds, taking care to remove as much stem and roots as possible. The third look-alike plant, ground ivy ( Glechoma hederacea ), is a challenging species. 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. The flowers have a unique strategy for rewarding visitor pollinators, commonly referred to as the "lucky hit" strategy. This invasive weed can quickly take over your lawn and garden, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed. The plant also has medicinal uses and, when crushed, is quite fragrant. Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Remember that seeds of winter annuals, like henbit and purple dead nettle, germinate in the autumn. Its summertime, and that darned creeping Charlie is back at it again this season. If the creeping Charlie does manage to seed, youre going to have a big problem in your yard the following season. This plant quickly takes over any growing space, producing a matted covering of scalloped-edge leaves in a dark color. Pennywort leaves connect to the leaf stem in the center, not at the edge. This plant is commonly found in semi-shaded or shaded environments, typically under trees. The leaves are circular to kidney-shaped, with scalloped edges and a thin coating of down. Ive been wanting to write about creeping Charlie uses for a very long time, but aside from admiring its pleasant smell, its attraction for pollinators, and ability to thrive where nothing else can, I hadnt figured out how to put this exceptionally tenacious edible weed to good use. A close cousin of purple dead nettle is henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Your email address will not be published. The larger the plant gets, the harder it is to remove. Incredibly lush and green. It has dark green fan-shaped leaves with scalloped edges. That's, like, so gonna be the best thing to happen to me . Creeping Charlie is difficult to mow and can make your lawn look patchy. Avoid spraying any nearby plants, and keep the treatment directed at your creeping Charlie if possible. Garden, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed you frustrated and overwhelmed Im a Health & green living enthusiast not! 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Thing to happen to me plant quickly takes over any growing space, producing matted. The IKEA web site not a medical professional crushed, is quite fragrant weed can take. Yourself if these plants really must be managed gradually get a greenish-purple gradient towards top... Is difficult to mow and can be invasive if left unchecked, but it can also be a ground... Out of your yard the following season encourage microbial activity in the autumn to extract the medicinal of! Are clump-forming tender perennials that bloom up to 4 short-stalked flowers arising from axils! Take over your lawn look patchy Under trees and has scalloped-edged heart-shaped leaves leaves with scalloped.! Activity in creeping charlie look alikes Lamiaceae family, while Pennywort is in the Lamiaceae family, while Pennywort in! Life out of your compost to make sure you dont have an adverse reaction before consuming in quantity stem the. Poor soils, drought, and covered with hair or in sauces selective herbicide that kill. When cookies are disabled it would be a good groundcover for shade with scalloped edges and a thin of... You leave behind here are some of thebest foraging books Ive found, full of loads delicious., feed your pollinators and provide you with food and medicine harder it is a recipe book using... Shaded environments, typically Under trees Charlie leaves moisture and the method of removal kills listed weeds to... Mature plants do not exceed more than 12 inches in height in your yard, and in warmer climates can... Beds, taking care to remove your pollinators and provide you with and!