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Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
Image ID: 2014/mtr171
![](/images/zoom.png)
Other common names: Gill-over-the-ground
Invasive
Family:
Lamiaceae (Mint)
Height: 0.1 to 0.67 ft.
Blooms: March to
July
Leaf Type:
lobed
Bloom Size: 0.5 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Flat or rounded clusters,
Fused petals, 10 or more parts
Location: Montour Trail
Date: 5/4/2014
More photos of this flower
Ground Ivy may be
easily confused with:
- Bugle
Bugle had flowers in a raceme (above the leaves), while ground ivy has flowers in the axils.
- Lyre-Leaved Sage
Ground ivy has leaves all along the plant, while the sage flowers grow on a spike above the leaves.
- Purple Dead Nettle
Purple dead nettle has purplish upper leaves and a "pouched" flower. Flower of ground ivy has a prominent, open lower lip.
Folklore, History, and Other Facts
The following information is taken from my great-grandmother's copy of
The Herbalist (1918).
This information is presented for historic purposes only, as many remedies recommended by this book
are toxic!
![page 1](herbology/32_1.jpg)
![page 2](herbology/32_2.jpg)
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.
![The Herbalist](images/herbbook.jpg)