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Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

Description

Glechoma hederacea (syn. Nepeta glechoma Benth., Nepeta hederacea (L.) Trevir.) is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. It is also sometimes known as creeping jenny, but that name more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia. It is used as a salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well-established introduced and naturalized plant in a wide variety of localities. It is considered an aggressive invasive weed of woodlands and lawns in some parts of North America. Despite this, no biological control research has been conducted by the USDA. Instead, chemical herbicides are suggested, despite their drawbacks, particularly for woodland ecosystems. Hand-pulling is also suggested, although the plant is difficult to eradicate that way.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Lamiales

            • Family: Lamiaceae

              • Genus: Glechoma