Ground Ivy | Plant Information

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Lamiales

Family:

Lamiaceae (Dead-nettle)

Also in this family:

Annual Woundwort, Apple Mint, Balkan Clary, Basil Thyme, Bastard Balm, Betony, Bifid Hemp-nettle, Black Horehound, Breckland Thyme, Bugle, Catmint, Common Calamint, Common Hemp-nettle, Corn Mint, Corsican Mint, Cut-leaved Dead-nettle, Cut-leaved Germander, Cut-leaved Selfheal, Downy Woundwort, False Apple Mint, Field Woundwort, Garden Catmint, Garden Clary, Ginger Mint, Ground-pine, Gypsywort, Hedge Woundwort, Henbit Dead-nettle, Horse Mint, Lamb's-ear, Large Thyme, Large-flowered Hemp-nettle, Lemon Balm, Lesser Calamint, Lesser Skullcap, Limestone Woundwort, Marsh Woundwort, Meadow Clary, Northern Dead-nettle, Oregano, Pennyroyal, Peppermint, Pyramidal Bugle, Red Dead-nettle, Red Hemp-nettle, Rosemary, Round-leaved Mint, Selfheal, Sharp-leaved Mint, Skullcap, Somerset Skullcap, Spearmint, Spotted Dead-nettle, Sticky Clary, Tall Mint, Variegated Yellow Archangel, Wall Germander, Water Germander, Water Mint, White Dead-nettle, White Horehound, Whorled Clary, Whorled Mint, Wild Basil, Wild Clary, Wild Thyme, Wood Calamint, Wood Sage, Yellow Archangel

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

30 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Farmland, hedgerows, meadows, wasteland, woodland.

Flower:

Blue, 2 petals

Violet, in whorls of 2-4, seldom larger than 2cm.

Fruit:

A small, 4-parted, brown nutlet.

Leaves:

Simple, opposite, compact leaves on square stems. Scallop-like, rounded leaf margins.

Aroma:

Smells akin to Mint when crushed, some say Blackcurrants.

Other Names:

Alehoof, Cat's Paw, Cat's-foot, Creeping Charlie, Creeping Jenny, Crow Victuals, Field Balm, Gillale, Gill-go-by-the-hedge, Gill-over-the-ground, Ground Joy, Hayhofe, Haymaids, Hedgemaids, Hove, Lizzy-run-up-the-hedge, Robin-run-in-the-hedge, Run-away-Robin, Tunhoof, Turnhoof, Wild Snakeroot.

Frequency (UK):

Common