Glechoma hederacea
Ground ivy
Common names: Creeping Charlie, Alehoof
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 20 cm, rows 30 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Planting
- Mar, Apr, May, Sep
- Harvest
- Apr–Jun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
Glechoma hederacea, commonly known as ground ivy, is a low, creeping perennial herb in the mint family that forms dense mats with long runners. From April to June (weeks 14 to 25) it produces small blue‑violet, bilabiate flowers that attract bees and bumblebees. The rounded, scalloped leaves emit a spicy aroma and were historically used as a wild vegetable and tea. While it is considered edible in small kitchen quantities, it is toxic to horses and other grazing animals, so it should be kept away from pastures and animal feed. It thrives best in semi‑shaded to shaded sites with loose, moist soil and spreads rapidly, requiring clear boundaries in a garden bed. Care instructions: Ground ivy needs little attention. A semi‑shaded to shaded spot with loose, moist soil is sufficient. Water only during prolonged dry periods; it dislikes waterlogged spots. Because it spreads via runners, prune regularly or install a root barrier to keep it contained. In spring you can harvest from mid‑April (week 16) into summer; the leaves become more bitter later. As a ground cover under shrubs or in wild garden corners it performs well without fertilizer.
Care instructions
Ground ivy needs little attention. A semi‑shaded to shaded spot with loose, moist soil is sufficient. Water only during prolonged dry periods; it dislikes waterlogged spots. Because it spreads via runners, prune regularly or install a root barrier to keep it contained. In spring you can harvest from mid‑April (week 16) into summer; the leaves become more bitter later. As a ground cover under shrubs or in wild garden corners it performs well without fertilizer.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingMar–May, Sep
HarvestApr–Jun
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Ground ivy likes fresh to moist, nutrient-rich soil with a high humus content, as found under hedges and at woodland edges. It copes well with loamy garden soils as long as they are not permanently waterlogged. Spots that are too dry and poor slow its growth noticeably, without seriously endangering the plant.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a robust wild plant, ground ivy needs no extra feeding in normal garden soil. A mulch layer of leaves or lawn clippings in spring is enough to keep the soil loose and nutrient-rich. On poor spots, a little mature compost helps it establish.
Overwintering
Ground ivy is hardy and survives frost in the bed without protection. The leaves often stay green in winter too and only die back somewhat in hard frost. Winter protection is not necessary, but a loose layer of leaves does no harm.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
- Runners
Ground ivy forms long, creeping runners that root by themselves at the leaf nodes. You can separate rooted runner pieces in spring or autumn and plant them straight into their new spot. Cuttings about 10 cm long also root reliably in moist soil. Dividing older clumps in spring works well too and quickly gives strong new plants.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Ground ivy yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?