It tolerates sunny as well as shady spots. Ground ivy is common in moist areas, disturbed sites, low woods, lawns, and along roadsides. (0.9 cm) long and come in clusters of two or more. Ground ivy has lavender-blue tubular, flowers that appear in the axils of the leaves. Ground ivy is one of the earliest plants to flower in the spring and blooms from March to July, dates critical to remember if you want to control this weed. Plants can reach a height of 1 foot (0.3 m). If you roll the stems between your fingers, you can detect the squareness of the stems, which is a way to distinguish it from common mallow ( Malva neglecta). When the leaves are crushed, a pleasant aromatic minty smell is released. Leaves are opposite, heart-shaped, 0.8-1.2 in. Ground ivy is a perennial evergreen plant that is a member of the family Lamiaceae. For this reason, some describe ground ivy as “plant Velcro.” Pretty But Pesky These multiple attachment points make hand weeding very difficult. Ground ivy creeps along the soil surface and puts down roots at each node (where the leaf attaches to the stem). Ground ivy hugs the ground, escaping mowing and aggressively spreading by above-ground runners (stolons) that can grow to 7 feet in length. This mint-family relative with delicate bluish-violet to lavender flowers is considered by most to be a noxious lawn weed that is hard to eradicate. Ground ivy is also known as gill-over-the ground, cat’s foot, and creeping Charlie. Since then, ground ivy has escaped cultivation and spread to a variety of native plant communities throughout the United States. It was introduced into North America by settlers as early as 1672. Ground ivy is a non-native perennial herb.

Hard Kill by Charlie Flowers