Ground ivy Glechoma hederacea
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Nepeta glechom
- Nepeta hederacea
- Phonetic Spelling
- gle-KOH-muh hed-er-AYE-see-uh
- Description
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Ground ivy is an invasive perennial in the mint family native to Eurasia. This aromatic, evergreen, creeper was introduced from Europe and can be quite weedy. It is often found on roadsides, lawns, shady spots, waste places, and thickets. Ground Ivy stems are creepers that help the plant spread. It usually grows to 1 foot or less, branching frequently and forming a low-growing mat of stems and leaves across the ground. When the plant flowers in early spring and summer, a stem grows upright to produce flowers. After blooming, the upright stem arches down and creeps along the surface, up to 30 inches, to form new roots at the nodes.
Ground ivy prefers partial sun, moist conditions, and fertile loamy soil in an open situation where there is little ground cover. It spreads aggressively and is difficult to destroy without resorting to herbicides. During hot summer weather, it has a tendency to become dormant.
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect problems. It tends to be invasive and is hard to eradicate. It is listed as invasive by the NC Invasive plant council.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Glechoma
- Species:
- hederacea
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Before the discovery of hops, Ground ivy was used in brewing beer. Has been used as a medicinal plant for cleansing of lungs, kidneys, stomach, and bowels by herbalists.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to Russian Far East and China
- Distribution:
- Canada and all the United States except for New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii.
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides sping-time nector to long tongued bees and other polinators. Can be an attractive gound cover.
- Edibility:
- Toxic to horses. Leaves are edible by humans. Can be used to create a medicinal tea or used in soups, jams and other dishes.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Schizocarp
- Fruit Description:
- Upon maturity, each flower is replaced by oval pods containing 4 dark brown nutlets. Each nutlet is ovoid, with 2 flat sides and an outer side that is rounded.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Three to seven blue-violet, half inch, tubular shaped flowers in whorls in leaf axis; corolla is two-lipped; lower lip has three lobes. Clusters of flowers develop from the leaf axils. The corolla of each flower is narrow at the base, but flares outward like a trumpet into spreading lobes. There is a notched upper lobe, a notched lower lobe, and 2 smaller side lobes. The lower lobe is larger than the others and functions as a landing pad for visiting insects. It has darker violet lines that function as nectar guides. Within the throat of the corolla, there are fuzzy hairs. Each flower has a single pistil with a divided style, 2 long stamens, and 2 short stamens. The pubescent calyx is about 1/3 the length of the tubular corolla, with 15 veins running along its length and 5 teeth along its outer edge.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Orbicular
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Half to 1 1/2 inch long and wide, green leaves. Scalloped edges, round to kidney-shaped with heart-shaped leaves at base. Leaf produces aromatic aroma when crushed. There is a flat indentation where the long petiole joins the base of a leaf. The pubescent upper surface has conspicuous palmate venation.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Hairy
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The 4-angled stems are prostrate to slightly ascending, and often form rootlets near the axils of the leaves when they touch the ground. Leaf nodes often have a fringe of long white hairs
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
