Ground Ivy

Glechoma hederacea

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:

Betony, Bifid Hemp-nettle, Black Horehound, Bugle, Common Hemp-nettle, Corn Mint, Cut-leaved Dead-nettle, Garden Catmint, Gypsywort, Hedge Woundwort, Lemon Balm, Marsh Woundwort, Oregano, Peppermint, Red Dead-nettle, Rosemary, Selfheal, Skullcap, Spearmint, Spotted Dead-nettle, Variegated Yellow Archangel, Water Mint, White Dead-nettle, Wild Basil, Wild Thyme, Wood Sage

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

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map