Scientific Name:
Glechoma hederacea
Pronunciation:
gleh-KOE-muh hed-ur-uh-AY-see-uh
Common Name:
creeping Charlie, ground ivy
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Vine or climber, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, exstipulate, mostly reniform to orbicular, crenate, blades to 3cm long, petioles often much longer; florets mostly 3 per node, lavender-blue with purple spots, Mar-July amongst leaf-like bracts.
Habit:
Horizontal, Pendulous
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like, Weeping
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.1 - 0.2m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Container planting, Medicinal plant, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to
Pilea nummulariifolia and
Plectranthus verticillatus (both also called "creeping Charlie"), and
Dichondra argentea (silver nickel vine).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Orbicular, Reniform
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Crenate
Additional Info:
Leaves variegated
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White, Violet, Purple, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Aerial or climbing roots, Fibrous-like roots, Runners (or stolons)
Pest Susceptibility:
(Deer resistant)
