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Gill Ivy


COMMON NAMES:  Creeping Charlie, Gill Ivy, Ground Ivy, Gill-Over-The-Ground, Alehoof, Tunhoof, Catsfoot, Field Balm and Run-Away-Robin.
 
Glechoma hederacea (glay-KO-ma he-de-RAH-kee-a)
 
Height 3 - 6” Unlimited spreading Spacing 6" - 18”


 
HABIT:  Creeping Charlie is a creeping European perennial evergreen, naturalized in North America. Round, opposite, aromatic leaves resembling dichondra, but larger and with scalloped edges. It is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and has very fine hair all over and has a square creeping stem. The main root is thick and matted it sends out long runners. Small trumpet-shaped blue flowers from spring to fall. Low growing, aggressive ground cover, evergreen in parts of the south. Spreads freely and roots at joints. Fragrant when crushed. Very easy to transplant and grow. 
 
CULTURE:  Needs little to no bed preparation and is very easy to plant and get estabished. It roots from cuttings readily. Be careful where you plant it – you’ll have it forever. It thrives in moist, shady areas of the lawn and garden and in sunny areas too if the lawn is thin. Zones 4 - 9.
 
USES:  Ground cover in shade. Is edible.


 
PROBLEMS:  Spreads easily and can be very invasive. Considered a weed by many.
 
NOTES:  Edible plant that's loaded with vitamin C, offers several health benefits and tastes great in a salad. Young leaves have a mild bitter taste and can be eaten raw or cooked. Use in salads to add a slight aromatic tang. They can also be cooked like greens or spinach, added to soups, stews or eggs. Tea can be made from fresh or dried leaves. 
 
CONTROL (if needed): This tender plant can be spot sprayed and killed with any of the organic herbicides such as vinegar products, fatty acid products, essential oil products and even strong hydrogen peroxide. 
 
Here’s a solution that’s floating around: To treat about 1000 infested square feet, dissolve 10 ounces of Twenty Mule Team Borax in four ounces of warm water. When the borax is in solution, mix it into two and a half gallons of warm water, stir well, and spray directly on unwanted plants. Another website says to dissolve 5 oz. of Borax in gallon of water, spray, wait until dry and then spray toxic chemicals like 2,4-D and Dicamba. That’s crazy! Toxic and crazy!
 
Probably the best approach is to use the commercial product, Agralawn Crabgrass Killer. It’s non-toxic, selective (won’t hurt the lawn grass) and works.



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