How to Identify Creeping Charlie
Creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea), also called ground ivy, is one of the most aggressive lawn weeds in the Central Plains and Upper Midwest. It forms dense mats of round to kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, growing on square stems that creep along the ground.
Three quick identification tests: First, crush a leaf between your fingers. Creeping charlie has a distinct minty smell because it’s in the mint family. Second, roll the stem. If it has four flat sides (square cross-section), it’s a mint-family plant. Third, look at the leaf edges: scalloped curves, not pointed teeth.
In spring, it produces small purple funnel-shaped flowers in clusters at the leaf nodes. The flowers are a useful confirmation but the plant is easily identified year-round by leaf shape and smell alone.
Why It’s So Difficult to Control
Creeping charlie spreads by stolons (above-ground runners) that root at every node where they contact soil. Pull one runner and you’ve broken it into pieces, each of which regrows into a new plant. A single plant can spread several feet per season, and the connected stolon network makes it nearly impossible to remove by hand.
It thrives in shaded, moist areas where grass struggles: under trees, along north-facing foundations, and in poorly drained low spots. In these conditions, creeping charlie often outcompetes turf grass because it tolerates shade better than most lawn species. Standard broadleaf herbicides containing 2,4-D alone are only marginally effective. Triclopyr is the key active ingredient for creeping charlie control.
