Glechoma hederacea
Encyclopedia
Glechoma hederacea is an aromatic
, perennial
, evergreen
creeper
of the mint family Lamiaceae
. It is commonly known as Ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground or Creeping Charlie. It has numerous medicinal uses, and is commonly used as a tasty salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well established naturalized/introduced plant in a wide variety of localities.
Glechoma hederacea is native to Europe and southwestern Asia but has been introduced to North America and is now common in most regions other than the Rocky Mountains
. Its common names include Alehoof, Creeping Charlie (or Charley), Catsfoot (from the size and shape of the leaf), Field Balm, Run-away-robin, Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-ground, and Tunhoof. It is also sometimes known as Creeping Jenny, but that more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia
. It can be identified by its round to reniform (kidney or fan shaped), crenate (with round toothed edges) opposed leaves
2–3 cm diameter, on 3–6 cm long petioles
attached to square stems which root at the nodes. It is a variable species, its size being influenced by environmental conditions, from 5 cm up to 50 cm tall.
Glechoma is sometimes confused with common mallow or Malva neglecta
, which also has round, lobed leaves; but mallow leaves are attached to the stem at the back of a rounded leaf, where ground ivy has square stems and leaves which are attached in the center of the leaf, more prominent rounded lobes on their edges, attach to the stems in an opposite arrangement, and have a hairy upper surface. In addition, mallow and other creeping plants sometimes confused with ground ivy do not spread from nodes on stems. In addition, ground ivy emits a distinctive odor when damaged, being a member of the mint family.
The flowers of Glechoma are bilaterally symmetrical, funnel shaped, blue or bluish-violet to lavender, and grow in opposed clusters of 2 or 3 flowers in the leaf axils on the upper part of the stem or near the tip. It usually flowers in the spring.
Glechoma thrives in moist shaded areas, but also tolerates sun very well. It is a common plant in grasslands and wooded areas or wasteland. It also thrives in lawns and around buildings since it survives mowing. It spreads by stolon
s or by seed. Part of the reason for its wide spread is this rhizomatous
method of reproduction.
It will form dense mats which can take over areas of lawn
, and thus can be considered potentially invasive or aggressive weed
.
, Anthophora quadrimaculata, Osmia aurulenta, Osmia caerulentes, and Osmia uncinata.
The plant is also gall
ed by several insects, including Rondaniola bursaria (Lighthouse Gall), Liposthenes glechomae or Liposthenes latreillei (Kieffer, 1898) (a gall wasp).
Glechoma is quite attractive. It is grown as a potted plant and occasionally as a ground cover. Easily cultivated, it grows well in shaded places. A variegated variety is commercially available; in many areas this is the dominant form which has escaped cultivation and become established as an aggressive, adventitious ground cover.
While often thought of as a weed because of its propensity for spreading, Glechoma has culinary and medicinal uses which were the cause of its being imported to America by early European settlers. The fresh herb can be rinsed and steeped in hot water to create an herbal tea which is rich in vitamin C
. It has a distinctive, mildly peppery flavor; it can be cooked as a pot herb, although it is most commonly eaten as a fresh salad green.
Glechoma was also widely used by the Saxons in brewing
beer
as flavoring, clarification, and preservative, before the introduction of hops
for these purposes; thus the brewing-related names, Ale
hoof, Tun
hoof, and Gill
-over-the-ground.
Glechoma has been used in the cheese
-making process as a substitute for animal rennet
.
recommends the plant to treat inflammation
of the eyes. John Gerard
, an English herbalist
, recommended the plant to treat tinnitus
, as well as a "diuretic
, astringent
, tonic and gentle stimulant. Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion." It is also useful as a "lung herb". Other traditional uses include as an expectorant, astringent, and to treat bronchitis
.Rosmarinic acid
analogues /compounds in Glechoma hederacea var. longituba have shown inhibitioon of NF-κB production and the induction of COX-2 and iNOS mRNA in HepG2 cells.
The essential oil
of the plant has many potent medicinal properties; the plant has been used for centuries as a general tonic for cold
s and cough
s, and to relieve congestion
of the mucous membrane
s. The plant has been demonstrated by studies in rats and mice to have anti-inflammatory
properties. Many of the components of the essential oil have been studied individually and found to have various effects, including protecting against the formation of ulcers. One component, ursolic acid
, was found in vitro
to have antiviral activity against the Epstein-Barr virus.
s; terpene-rich volatile oils are known to irritate the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. The volatile oil also contains pulegone
, a chemical also occurring in pennyroyal
that is a known irritant, toxic to the liver, and also an abortifacient
. The total yield of volatile oil in Glechoma is less than 1/30th the concentration that of pennyroyal.
, a property it shares with many others of the mint family. It can be a problem in heavy, rich soils with good fertility, high moisture, and low boron
content. It thrives particularly well in shady areas where grass does not grow well, although it can also be a problem in full sun.
Small infestations can be controlled through hand weeding; repeated weeding is required because the plant is stolon
iferous and will continue to spread from its roots or bits of stem which reroot.
Glechoma is unusually sensitive to boron
, and can be killed by applying borax
(sodium tetraborate) in solution. The ratio is eight to ten ounces of borax dissolved in four ounces of warm water, diluted to 2.5 U.S. gallons
of final solution, to be sprayed evenly over precisely 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) of lawn "no more, no less". Note that despite being a "natural
" treatment, boron is toxic to other plants and to animals at only slightly higher concentrations and, being an element
, does not break down; therefore the long term effects of this technique on soil or groundwater
, although not well documented, can be assumed to be unfavorable.
More recent research discounts the efficacy of borax
, primarily because finding the correct concentration for a given area is difficult and the potential for damaging desired plants.
Aside from mechanical removal or borax treatment, the other alternative for Glechoma infestation is use of commercial herbicide
s. There is some disagreement over the effectiveness of various herbicides, with dicamba
(Trimec and Weed-B-Gon) and 2,4-D being described variously as both effective and ineffective by different sources. Some or all of the disagreement may be due to the existence of subpopulations which have differing susceptibilities to different compounds, as well as to differing rates of application. To avoid generating herbicide resistance, the same product should not be used several years in succession; rather, various products should be used in rotation.
Triclopyr
has also been described as effective, and Clopyralid
, MCPP
, and quinclorac as ineffective. Fluroxypyr and Confront have also been described as effective, but sales of both are restricted to professionals. Two applications ten to fourteen days apart are necessary; also, the ability of the surviving plants to regenerate after 24 days can require a second treatment four or five weeks later, and even more followups.
In addition, the timing of application may play a role in the effectiveness of the herbicide, as well as the perception of effectiveness. For instance, fall is usually the best time for use of broadleaf herbicides; however a slow acting herbicide like triclopyr applied in the fall may not appear to have been effective until the next growing season.
Other techniques reported effective are to fertilize with greater than two pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet annually, and use of the preemergence herbicide, isoxaben. In extremely difficult cases, a short-lived full-spectrum herbicide such as Roundup is used to kill the entire lawn, and it is reseeded from start.
Aroma compound
An aroma compound, also known as odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor...
, perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
creeper
Creeper
Creeper, Creepers, or The Creeper may refer to:- Plants and animals:* Birds of the families Certhiidae treecreepers:** Brown Creeper ** the Climacteridae Australasian treecreeper** the Rhabdornithidae Philippine creeper...
of the mint family Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
. It is commonly known as Ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground or Creeping Charlie. It has numerous medicinal uses, and is commonly used as a tasty salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well established naturalized/introduced plant in a wide variety of localities.
Glechoma hederacea is native to Europe and southwestern Asia but has been introduced to North America and is now common in most regions other than the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Its common names include Alehoof, Creeping Charlie (or Charley), Catsfoot (from the size and shape of the leaf), Field Balm, Run-away-robin, Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-ground, and Tunhoof. It is also sometimes known as Creeping Jenny, but that more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia
Lysimachia nummularia
Lysimachia nummularia is a low, creeping plant of the genus Lysimachia. It is commonly called Creeping Jenny, Moneywort, Herb Twopence and Twopenny grass.-Distribution:...
. It can be identified by its round to reniform (kidney or fan shaped), crenate (with round toothed edges) opposed leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
2–3 cm diameter, on 3–6 cm long petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
attached to square stems which root at the nodes. It is a variable species, its size being influenced by environmental conditions, from 5 cm up to 50 cm tall.
Glechoma is sometimes confused with common mallow or Malva neglecta
Malva neglecta
Malva neglecta is also known as Common mallow in the United States and also buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, dwarf mallow and roundleaf mallow.Although often considered a weed, this plant is reportedly consumed as a food...
, which also has round, lobed leaves; but mallow leaves are attached to the stem at the back of a rounded leaf, where ground ivy has square stems and leaves which are attached in the center of the leaf, more prominent rounded lobes on their edges, attach to the stems in an opposite arrangement, and have a hairy upper surface. In addition, mallow and other creeping plants sometimes confused with ground ivy do not spread from nodes on stems. In addition, ground ivy emits a distinctive odor when damaged, being a member of the mint family.
The flowers of Glechoma are bilaterally symmetrical, funnel shaped, blue or bluish-violet to lavender, and grow in opposed clusters of 2 or 3 flowers in the leaf axils on the upper part of the stem or near the tip. It usually flowers in the spring.
Glechoma thrives in moist shaded areas, but also tolerates sun very well. It is a common plant in grasslands and wooded areas or wasteland. It also thrives in lawns and around buildings since it survives mowing. It spreads by stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s or by seed. Part of the reason for its wide spread is this rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
method of reproduction.
It will form dense mats which can take over areas of lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
, and thus can be considered potentially invasive or aggressive weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
.
Ecological aspects
A number of wild bees fly upon this plant, including Anthophora furcata, Anthidum manicatum, Anthophora plumipesAnthophora plumipes
Anthophora plumipes is a species of bees belonging to the family Apidae subfamily Apinae tribus Anthophorini.They are present in most of Europe, in the Near East and in North Africa....
, Anthophora quadrimaculata, Osmia aurulenta, Osmia caerulentes, and Osmia uncinata.
The plant is also gall
Gall
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
ed by several insects, including Rondaniola bursaria (Lighthouse Gall), Liposthenes glechomae or Liposthenes latreillei (Kieffer, 1898) (a gall wasp).
Cultivation and medicinal and culinary uses
While often thought of as a weed because of its propensity for spreading, Glechoma has culinary and medicinal uses which were the cause of its being imported to America by early European settlers. The fresh herb can be rinsed and steeped in hot water to create an herbal tea which is rich in vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
. It has a distinctive, mildly peppery flavor; it can be cooked as a pot herb, although it is most commonly eaten as a fresh salad green.
Glechoma was also widely used by the Saxons in brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
as flavoring, clarification, and preservative, before the introduction of hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
for these purposes; thus the brewing-related names, Ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
hoof, Tun
Tun
- Science and technology :* TUN/TAP, a computer network device driver* TUN , a Danish product standard for building materials* Tun , a part of the Mayan long count calendar system* A unit of time in the Mayan Long Count calendar...
hoof, and Gill
Gill (unit)
The gill is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint. It is no longer in common use, except in regard to the volume of alcoholic spirits measures but it is also kept alive by the occasional reference, such as in the cumulative song, "The Barley Mow".Imperial gillUnited States...
-over-the-ground.
Glechoma has been used in the cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
-making process as a substitute for animal rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
.
Medicinal properties
Glechoma hederacea has been used in the traditional medicine of Europe going back thousands of years. GalenGalen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
recommends the plant to treat inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the eyes. John Gerard
John Gerard
John Gerard aka John Gerarde was an English herbalist notable for his herbal garden and botany writing. In 1597 he published a large and heavily illustrated "Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes", which went on to be the most widely circulated botany book in English in the 17th century...
, an English herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
, recommended the plant to treat tinnitus
Tinnitus
Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
, as well as a "diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
, astringent
Astringent
An astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
, tonic and gentle stimulant. Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion." It is also useful as a "lung herb". Other traditional uses include as an expectorant, astringent, and to treat bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
.Rosmarinic acid
Rosmarinic acid
Rosmarinic acid, C18H16O8, is a natural phenol antioxidant carboxylic acid found in many Lamiaceae herbs used commonly as culinary herbs such as lemon balm, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and peppermint. Chemically, rosmarinic acid is an ester of caffeic acid with 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid...
analogues /compounds in Glechoma hederacea var. longituba have shown inhibitioon of NF-κB production and the induction of COX-2 and iNOS mRNA in HepG2 cells.
The essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
of the plant has many potent medicinal properties; the plant has been used for centuries as a general tonic for cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
s and cough
Cough
A cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
s, and to relieve congestion
Congestion
Congestion generally means excessive crowding.Congestion may refer to:* congestion in heart failure, a term to describe low cardiac output seen in heart failure.* Nasal congestion, the blockage of nasal passages due to swollen membranes...
of the mucous membrane
Mucous membrane
The mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs...
s. The plant has been demonstrated by studies in rats and mice to have anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids, which affect the central nervous system....
properties. Many of the components of the essential oil have been studied individually and found to have various effects, including protecting against the formation of ulcers. One component, ursolic acid
Ursolic acid
Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene acid, used in cosmetics, that is also capable of inhibiting various types of cancer cells by inhibiting the STAT3 activation pathway and human fibrosarcoma cells by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by acting through the glucocorticoid...
, was found in vitro
In vitro
In vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
to have antiviral activity against the Epstein-Barr virus.
Safety
Although it has been used as a salad green and in herbal medicines for thousands of years, the safety of Glechoma hederacea has not been established scientifically, and there is sufficient evidence to warrant caution with its use. Cases of poisoning in cattle and horses have been documented. Glechoma hederacea is known to contain terpenoidTerpenoid
The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways. Most are multicyclic structures that differ from one another not only in...
s; terpene-rich volatile oils are known to irritate the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. The volatile oil also contains pulegone
Pulegone
Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from the essential oils of a variety of plants such as Nepeta cataria , Mentha piperita, and pennyroyal. It is classified as a monoterpene....
, a chemical also occurring in pennyroyal
Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal refers to two plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. For the American species, see American pennyroyal. The European pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium, , is a plant in the mint genus, within the family Lamiaceae. Crushed Pennyroyal leaves exhibit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint...
that is a known irritant, toxic to the liver, and also an abortifacient
Abortifacient
An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mated undesirably are known as mismating shots....
. The total yield of volatile oil in Glechoma is less than 1/30th the concentration that of pennyroyal.
Control
As is often the case when a plant has this many familiar names, Glechoma is familiar to a large number of people as a weedWeed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
, a property it shares with many others of the mint family. It can be a problem in heavy, rich soils with good fertility, high moisture, and low boron
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
content. It thrives particularly well in shady areas where grass does not grow well, although it can also be a problem in full sun.
Small infestations can be controlled through hand weeding; repeated weeding is required because the plant is stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
iferous and will continue to spread from its roots or bits of stem which reroot.
Glechoma is unusually sensitive to boron
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
, and can be killed by applying borax
Borax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...
(sodium tetraborate) in solution. The ratio is eight to ten ounces of borax dissolved in four ounces of warm water, diluted to 2.5 U.S. gallons
United States customary units
United States customary units are a system of measurements commonly used in the United States. Many U.S. units are virtually identical to their imperial counterparts, but the U.S. customary system developed from English units used in the British Empire before the system of imperial units was...
of final solution, to be sprayed evenly over precisely 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) of lawn "no more, no less". Note that despite being a "natural
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
" treatment, boron is toxic to other plants and to animals at only slightly higher concentrations and, being an element
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
, does not break down; therefore the long term effects of this technique on soil or groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
, although not well documented, can be assumed to be unfavorable.
More recent research discounts the efficacy of borax
Borax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...
, primarily because finding the correct concentration for a given area is difficult and the potential for damaging desired plants.
Aside from mechanical removal or borax treatment, the other alternative for Glechoma infestation is use of commercial herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s. There is some disagreement over the effectiveness of various herbicides, with dicamba
Dicamba
Dicamba is an herbicide. Brand names for formulations of this herbicide include Banvel, Oracle and Vanquish...
(Trimec and Weed-B-Gon) and 2,4-D being described variously as both effective and ineffective by different sources. Some or all of the disagreement may be due to the existence of subpopulations which have differing susceptibilities to different compounds, as well as to differing rates of application. To avoid generating herbicide resistance, the same product should not be used several years in succession; rather, various products should be used in rotation.
Triclopyr
Triclopyr
Triclopyr is a systemic, foliar herbicide in the pyridine group. It is used to control broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses and conifers unaffected....
has also been described as effective, and Clopyralid
Clopyralid
Clopyralid is a selective herbicide used for control of broadleaf weeds, especially thistles and clovers....
, MCPP
Mecoprop
Mecoprop, or methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid , is a common general use herbicide found in many household weed killers and "weed-and-feed" type lawn fertilizers. It is primarily used to control broadleaf weeds...
, and quinclorac as ineffective. Fluroxypyr and Confront have also been described as effective, but sales of both are restricted to professionals. Two applications ten to fourteen days apart are necessary; also, the ability of the surviving plants to regenerate after 24 days can require a second treatment four or five weeks later, and even more followups.
In addition, the timing of application may play a role in the effectiveness of the herbicide, as well as the perception of effectiveness. For instance, fall is usually the best time for use of broadleaf herbicides; however a slow acting herbicide like triclopyr applied in the fall may not appear to have been effective until the next growing season.
Other techniques reported effective are to fertilize with greater than two pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet annually, and use of the preemergence herbicide, isoxaben. In extremely difficult cases, a short-lived full-spectrum herbicide such as Roundup is used to kill the entire lawn, and it is reseeded from start.
Further reading
- An HJ, Jeong HJ, Um JY, Kim HM, Hong SH. "Glechoma hederacea inhibits inflammatory mediator release in IFN-gamma and LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages"; Journal of Ethnopharmacology: Vol. 106, No. 3, pg. 418-24, 2006
External links
- Ground Ivy: Glechoma hederacea
- Ground Ivy, AKA Creeping Charlie: Wild Groundcover
- Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
- Questions on: Ground Ivy
- Attempting Ground Ivy Control
- Glechoma hederacea
- Ground Ivy at altnature.com
- Using Borax to Control Creeping Charlie
- Creeping Charlie, The Loveable Lawn Weed
- Rennet for Cheese Making