Glechoma hederacea
| Glechoma hederacea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Glechoma hederacea (common name: ground ivy)
Propagation: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ as soon as it is ripe, or in the spring.
Division in spring or autumn[1]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a heavy soil and dappled shade[2][3]. Prefers a moist well-drained soil, succeeding in sun or shade[1].
A very invasive plant, spreading freely at the roots[4][3][5].
A good bee plant[6].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, northern and western Asia to Japan.
Habitat: Damp waste ground, hedgerows and woodland margins[7].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked[8]. The leaves have a bitter flavour[9], they can be mixed into salads to add a slight aromatic tang[7]. They can also be cooked like spinach, added to soups etc or used as a flavouring[10][11]. Available very early in the year.
A herb tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves[10][12][11]. It is often used mixed with verbena leaves[7].
The herb has been added to beer in much the same way as hops in order to clear it and also to improve its flavour and keeping qualities[13][11]. This species was the most common flavouring in beer prior to the use of hops from the 16th century onwards[5].
Medicinal: Ground ivy is a safe and effective herb that is used to treat many problems involving the mucous membranes of the ear, nose, throat and digestive system[14]. A well-tolerated treatment it can be given to children to clear lingering catarrh and to treat chronic conditions such as glue ear and sinusitis[14]. Throat and chest problems, especially those due to excess catarrh, also benefit from this remedy[14].
The leaves and flowering stems are anodyne, antiphlogistic, appetizer, astringent, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, pectoral, gently stimulant, tonic and vermifuge[13][8][15][16][17][18][19]. They are best harvested in May whilst still fresh[13], and are dried for later use[5]. The leaves are used in the treatment of hypersensitivity in children and are useful in the treatment of kidney diseases and indigestion[13][8][15][16][17][18][19]. Applied externally, the expressed juice speeds the healing of bruises and black eyes[13]. Use with caution[15].
Usage: A good ground cover plant for shady places. It is rather vigorous though and can swamp smaller plants[20].
Pollinators: Bees
Notes: This could be allowed to naturalize in hedgerows etc.
Soil: Can grow in medium and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: A report in the medicinal uses says the plant should be used with caution, no reason is given. Another report says that the plant might be toxic to horses[21].
Also Known As: Nepeta glechoma. N. hederacea.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brown, George. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association, 1981.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Napier, Elspeth. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells, 1989.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.