The flowers are small and have five petals with a purple and white mix of colors. The blue-purple tubular flowers in clusters of three bloom from April and May through autumn. 5 Comments. Its an archaic term for hip). LOOK-ALIKES Several white-flowered native plants occur in the same habitats as garlic mustard and may be mistaken for it., The young leaves of creeping Charlie are edible and are often consumed in salads or cooked. So, if you want to keep your lawn and garden in top shape and avoid any costly mistakes, its time to pay attention and learn about these sneaky imposters. At a glance, both the plants might look alike. STEP 1: Prune Creeping Charlie to expose the roots. It is also known as Jack-by-the-edge, Garlic Root, Hedge Garlic, and Poor Mans Mustard. So, whats a gardener to do? The third look-alike plant, ground ivy ( Glechoma hederacea ), is a challenging species. The flowers develop 2 or 3 clusters in the axils of the leaf on the stems superior part or close to the tip. 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! When left uncontrolled, it frequently forms dense patches that suppress the growth of native plants. Loosen the Soil. If you do want to beat back creeping Charlie, you should handpull it carefully, trying to remove all stem pieces as they will readily re-grow. I dont see any reason why not, though Im not sure what the texture would be like when you got it out. This plant prefers moist, fertile, shady areas but gladly creeps into sunny and even drier spaces. Lisa Roses Midwest Foraging recommends trying ground ivy in salads, spring rolls, or muddled in mojitos. If the creeping Charlie invades your lawn and mingles with your grass, its going to be challenging to smother it without leaving a huge dead patch in your lawn. This weed can take over large areas during the summer, and if you dont kill it back, then its going to breed and take over your entire yard the following year. gingerlily Paxton, FL (Zone 8a) Apr 07, 2004. Dollarweed ( Hydrocotyle spp. Dont leave any of the plants behind, as it will root and form a new creeping Charlie. Learn about these excellent creeping Charlie uses, and you may never look at it the same way again. 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. Its leaves, stalks, and seed are all considered edible. After removing all the creeping Charlie check to make sure you got all the roots. Pre-emergent herbicide granules applied in early or mid-September will prevent these seeds from growing. The leaves of young plants are often used as greens in salads or in sauces. It is also called Cheese plant, Dwarf Mallow, Buttonweed, and Cheeseweed. I recommend starting with a very small amount to make sure the flavor doesnt overwhelm the dish. 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 leaves are produced opposite each other on square (i.e., four-sided), creeping stems that root at the nodes. Flowers and leaves of creeping charlie. Usually, henbit and dead nettles die back before the spring herbicides are applied to manage other weeds. Aliases: couchgrass, quitch grass, creeping wheat. Creeping Charlie: Massed together, creeping charlie's blossoms are more attractive than those of some ground covers sold commercially. Although creeping Charlie is a fairly easy-to-identify weed, there are still a few plants with similar appearance and characteristics. If you love experimenting with inventive ways to use wild plants, be sure to check out this post covering garlic mustard recipes! Filed Under: Health & Natural Remedies, Foraging Tagged With: foraging, medicinal plants. A close cousin of purple dead nettle is henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Home Pest & Weeds 6 Creeping Charlie Look-Alikes. Henbit has heart- or triangular-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the leaf margin. It also releases an aromatic scent when stepped on or brushed against. It can be eaten and used for medicinal purposes and as a herb. 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. There are no pre-emergent herbicides that work on ground ivy. It is difficult to eradicate. This plant has many common names. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and have scalloped edges. He suggests making an infusion of 1 teaspoon dried ground ivy leaves and 1 cup of boiling water or 1-4ml of tinctured ground ivy 3 times per day to treat congestion and cough. Ground moles can wreak havoc on your lawn, leaving unsightly mounds and tunnels in their wake.. Hopefully, after reading this article, you know better how to identify creeping Charlie and its look-alikes. 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. Strap on your protective gear and mix the herbicide. Flowers are irregular, tubular, about inch long, light blue to deep purple-blue or reddish-purple. Heres how to make DIY bug repellent so youre more prepared the next time! The bees love them, too, especially early in the season when they dont have many other sources of food. Creeping Charlie. Dispose of the remaining herbicide following manufacturers guidelines. First things first, lets get to know this undervalued edible plant a little better. 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. The heart-shaped, scalloped leaves change to green further down the short green stem. This plant has scalloped-edged, oval, or kidney-shaped leaves. Wherever there is a node, the square stems root into the soil. The stems and leaves have needle-like hairs. Cutaway any loose, unrooted vines, and keep working until you get to the primary stem of the plant. Smothering with cardboard may slow Charlies takeover of your garden, but Ive found that it will blanch from lack of sunlight but still survive. Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea L. Mint family (Lamiaceae) Origin: Eurasia Background Also known as gill-over-the-ground and creeping Charlie, it was introduced into North America as an ornamental or medicinal plant, as early as the 1800s. Its scientific name is Lysimachia nummularia. Creeping Charlie, also known as Glechoma hederacea, is a weed common throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Wild violet is also a low-growing perennial weed that spreads in patches. 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. 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. 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. It makes desirable groundcovers since it creates beautiful, dense mats. A small number of scientific studies have investigated creeping Charlies anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer properties, but this ubiquitous herb hasnt attracted the attention that some other medicinal plants have, like elderberry, for instance. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). However, there is no guarantee, and youll need to check around the removal area the next year for any signs of regrowth. July 14, 2014 7:58 AM. The leaves grow in opposite pairs across the stalk, are green, kidney-shaped, with serrated edges, and covered with hair. If the creeping Charlie does manage to seed, youre going to have a big problem in your yard the following season. Mature plants do not exceed more than 12 inches in height. Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. Common Mallow has lobed or toothed leaves, while the white and purple mix flowers are tiny with five petals. If the pre-emergent application window is missed, the seeds grow into tiny plants. Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Love learning about medicinal herbs? Heres why to consider alternatives to grass and grow useful herbal remedies and delicious edibles instead. Yes, there are garlic mustard lookalikes, but it depends on the current form of the plant. 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. 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}. Early twentieth-century herbalist Maud Grieve writes, From early days, Ground Ivy has been endowed with singular curative virtues, and is one of the most popular remedies for coughs and nervous headaches. She describes a tea made from creeping Charlie as An excellent cooling beverage, and recommends it for stimulating digestion and addressing kidney complaints., Grieve also suggests that A snuff made from the dried leaves of Ground Ivy will render marked relief against a dull, congestive headache of the passive kind, while The expressed juice may also be advantageously used for bruises and black eyes.'. Creeping Charlie prefers shady, moist soils, but grows just fine in sun and drier soils as well. They grow just about everywhere in the same habitat. Ground ivy is a weed that I hear about every spring. Creeping Charlie uses photo credits: jhenning, Lawn Health, scym, Hans Braxmeier. Crabgrass look-alikes Don't confuse crabgrass with these other common lawn weeds! It even has violet-purple flowers in late spring. Here are 3 creeping Charlie look-alikes. Pods are . Its actions are listed as, "Anti-catarrhal, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, vulnerary and stimulant". The creeping Charlie lookalikes discussed above can also offer great ground cover. The plant also has medicinal uses and, when crushed, is quite fragrant. 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 I draw on numerous sources, some of which are linked above. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The easiest way to use ground ivy is in tea using either fresh or dried leaves. The Holistic Herbal recommends it for sinus problems, coughs and bronchitis, tinnitus, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and cystitis. 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