Ground Ivy

Today’s PEI plant is one that many of you will be familiar with. This time of year, the scent of its flowers and sound of bees buzzing around them always catch my attention. Meet Ground Ivy (aka Creeping Charlie, Gill-over-the-Ground [Glechoma hederacea]).

Photo: Ground Ivy (aka Creeping Charlie, Glechoma hederaceae) on PEI.

Ground Ivy is not native to the Island and can invade human habitats as well as forests and coastal areas. It has many traits that give it a leg up over other species: it appears and flowers early, germinates quickly, can grow in sun or shade, and has no major insect or disease issues. And – as those with lawns and gardens know – it spreads aggressively. When leafy stems touch the ground, Ground Ivy can put down new roots and head out in new directions, forming very dense patches that outcompete pretty much everything else.

While Ground Ivy may be hated today, this wasn’t always so. A member of the Mint Family (Lamiaceae), Ground Ivy was originally brought to North America from its native Europe more than 300 years ago as a valued edible and medicinal species. It was later distributed as a garden ornamental, which is likely how it arrived on PEI. It’s now present throughout the US and in every province and territory of Canada, except Nunavut.

One person’s scourge can be another’s snack, and Ground Ivy has a long history of use in food and drink. Prior to the widespread use of Hops (Humulus lupulus) in the 1400s, Ground Ivy was used extensively to flavour, clarify and preserve beer (hence its old name ‘Alehoff’, sometimes written as ‘Alehoof’).

Leaves have a strong flavour that I’d describe as a combination of thyme, mint, and oregano, with a hint of lemon balm thrown in (not surprisingly, these are also all members of the Mint Family). This isn’t a wild food you’ll want to eat a bowl of, but it is nice as a seasoning.

Mix fresh leaves with mayo to use as a spread or toss some into tzatziki; add fresh or dried leaves as a secret ingredient in soups, stews, eggs, fish, or ground meat; or use it fresh or dried in any place you would the thyme, mint, or oregano (I like to substitute it for oregano in my homemade chili powder). Just don’t feed it to horses! Ground Ivy is toxic to horses both fresh in pasture and dried in hay.

Medicinally, Ground Ivy was a traditional treatment for coughs and colds, ear nose and throat ailments, intestinal issues and skin wounds and sores. Modern research has confirmed its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, as well as its ability to reduce skin pigmentation such as freckles and age spots.

While a bit of Ground Ivy tea or tincture can be soothing, remember to check with your health care provider before taking any new remedy. And – like some other members of the Mint Family – Ground Ivy should be avoided altogether by those who are pregnant.

Whether you admire its tenacity and pollinator popularity or loathe it for invading your lawn and garden, Ground Ivy is an interesting part of PEI Untamed!