Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea).
Creeping Charlie is also known as Ground Ivy. It is a perennial aggressive weed, that flowers in early Spring and Summer, and very difficult to control once it gets a foothold.
After you finish reading this, you will be able to:
- Identify Creeping Charlie.
- Know the habitat of Ground Ivy.
- Know the best cultural and chemical options to control Creeping Charlie.
Ground ivy is a low growing perennial weed commonly found in lawns and landscape beds. Creeping Charlie is a shallow-rooted weed with a minty odour when you crush or cut it. It has kidney-shaped or rounded leaves with scalloped edges that grow low to the ground, and the stems can root at each leaf node.
Creeping Charlie is a good indicator weed of wet soils and turf under stress. The distribution map is courtesy of The Atlas of Living Australia.
For more information, please check out our weed ID chart.
Ground Ivy Identification.
Creeping Charlie spreads aggressively to form dense patches by both seeds and creeping stems that root at the nodes.
It is often mistaken for Deadnettle or Henbit as these all have square stems, are members of the mint family and small purple flowers. However the key differences are:
- The upper leaves of Deadnettle are smaller than the lower leaves.
- Deadnettle is an annual that flowers in early Spring and then dies in late Spring.
- Deadnettle has long stalks on its lower leaves and short stalks on its upper leaves. The leaves of Creeping Charlie are on long stalks.
Differences Between Creeping Charlie, Deadnettle and Henbit.
Plant | Growth Habit | Flowering | Creeping | Stem | Leaf Stalks | Leaf Shape | Teeth on Leaf |
Creeping Charlie | Perennial | Late Spring | Yes | Square | Long | Kidney | Yes |
Deadnettle | Winter Annual | Early Spring | Yes | Square | Long on lower leaves and short on upper leaves. | Hairy oval- to egg-shaped | Rounded teeth on edges |
Henbit | Winter Annual | Early Spring | Yes | Square | On lower not on upper | Hairy oval- to egg-shaped | Yes |
Category: Creepng Charlie is a broadleaf (Dicot) weed.
Photosynthetic Pathway: C3 Weed.
Flower: Creeping Charlie flowers in the late Spring. Its flowers are funnel shaped, about 2.5 cm in diameter, and appear blue/purple in colour. They are often found in 3 to 7 clusters, and appear from April to June.
Height: Prostrate
Leaf Length: The kidney shaped leaves of Creeping Charlie are opposite and on a long stalk. They have rounded teeth along their edges.
Leaf Width: The leaves are 6 to 37 mm in diameter
Reproduction: Creeping Charlie reproduces in the Summer and Autumn by seed, and also by rooting on its creeping stems.
Comments: Ground Ivy stems are square (four-sided). During hot summer weather, it has a tendency to become dormant.
Habitat: Creeping Charlie is an aggressive weed that prefers moist, partly shaded areas, but it grows almost as well in the sun, spreading quickly into turf areas and flower beds.
How to Remove Creeping Charlie from your Lawn.
Cultural Control of Creeping Charlie.
If the turf area is under stress, adjust your cultural practices to improve turf health and density (so mow at the correct height, fertilize and water properly etc.).
US works shows that the use of Iron HEDTA does control Ground Ivy if apply this early in the season.
Adopting correct N nitrogen fertilization practices (≥ 0.5Kg N/100 m2) are known to reduce Creeping Charlie compared to non-fertilized turf (Kohler et al., 2004)
Keep in mind that although it prefers shade, Creeping Charlie also grows in full-sun areas.
If you see Ground Ivy early, remove and destroy every bit of the roots. Don’t add this plant to the compost bin because it can take root there, so It’s best to remove waste off-site. If Creeping Charlie has spread throughout a large area, it is difficult to control through hand-weeding alone.
Chemical Control.
First off chemical control of Ground Ivy is variable and takes time. The best time to treat Creeping Charlie with post emergents, is when it is translocating carbohydrates deep underground in the Autumn. This is usually when daytime temperatures have dropped to 16 to 21°C.
Apply on a day when no rain is forecast for 48 hours, and repeat applications over multiple seasons will be needed for complete control.
The other thing to note is that no pre-emergent herbicides work against this weed.
- Although not registered in Australia for control, Isoxaben stops the growth and development of stolons. Prodiamine, Pendimethalin and Dithiopyr don’t work on this weed.
Post Emergent Creeping Charlie Control.
- Post-emergent chemical control of Creeping Charlie is best in the Autumn, and aim to use a weed killer that contains Dicamba (not registered in Australia for this). This is often in combination products like ProForce Contra M. For best results, make a second application 3 to 4 weeks later.
- If it reappears again in the Spring, spray again. Ground Ivy is very susceptible to herbicides when it is in bloom. Again, a second application may be necessary.
- In the US, Pylex Herbicide is registered for Ground Ivy control.
- US work shows that 2,4-D Amine works on Creeping Charlie (Kohler et al 2004) although timing, rate and formulation all play a role in the results.
Non Selective Ground Ivy Options.
- Non selective options for Creeping Charlie include Glyphosate (Rapid Fire 800), Numchuk Quad and Cortex Duo.
- If you use Glyphosate and water quality is an issue then we recommend the use of ProForce Manta Ray.
