Creeping Charlie; if you can't beat it, eat it!!

[MaryMary]

For years I've had this weed in my yard that I thought was Henbit. For a couple months, I've been reading here about Creeping Charlie. Curious, I looked it up. Guess what? The weed in my yard is not Henbit, it's Creeping Charlie.

At this website, http://www.ediblewildfood.com/creeping-charlie.aspx I found this:

Edible parts: Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves have a mild bitter flavour and can be tossed into salads to add a slight aromatic tang. They can also be cooked like spinach, added to soups, stews, or omelet. Tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves...

and also this:

(snip...) For centuries Creeping Charlie has been praised as a nutritious edible plant that's loaded with vitamin C. This powerful wild edible has a multitude of health benefits

Health benefits?

I usually look for more than one source of information. After all, you can't believe everything you read on the internet.


I found a Wikipedia article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glechoma_hederacea#Cultivation_and_medicinal_and_culinary_uses

The fresh herb can be rinsed and steeped in hot water to create an herbal tea which is rich in vitamin C. It has a distinctive, mildly peppery flavor; it can be cooked as a pot herb, although it is most commonly eaten as a fresh salad green.[10][unreliable source?]

And also:

It has numerous medicinal uses, and is used as a salad green in many countries.

And...

Glechoma hederacea has been used in the traditional medicine of Europe going back thousands of years

Not just "Health benefits," but "Medicinal uses" ?? They go on to list several things for which it is useful. Obviously more research is necessary.



At this website, http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/g/glechoma-hederacea=ground-ivy.php I found:

Medicinal use of Ground Ivy: 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. 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. Throat and chest problems, especially those due to excess catarrh, also benefit from this remedy. The leaves and flowering stems are anodyne, antiphlogistic, appetizer, astringent, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, pectoral, gently stimulant, tonic and vermifuge. They are best harvested in May whilst still fresh, and are dried for later use. The leaves are used in the treatment of hypersensitivity in children and are useful in the treatment of kidney diseases and indigestion. Applied externally, the expressed juice speeds the healing of bruises and black eyes. Use with caution.

Still suspicious, I found this on WebMD!!
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-26-GROUND IVY.aspx?activeIngredientId=26&activeIngredientName=GROUND IVY

Ground ivy is a plant. The dried plant and crushed leaves are used to make medicine.

People take ground ivy for mild lung problems, coughs, and bronchitis. They also take it for arthritis and other joint pain, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), stomach problems, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, bladder infections, bladder stones, and kidney stones. Women take it for menstrual (period) problems.

Some people apply ground ivy directly to the skin for wounds, ulcers, and other skin conditions.

In food manufacturing, ground ivy is used as a flavoring.

How does it work? Ground ivy might work as an astringent to dry out body fluids such as mucus and to help stop bleeding.

Also on WebMD, I found a list of side effects. PLEASE read this!

Ground ivy is POSSIBLY SAFE in the amounts used to flavor foods and in small doses as medicine. However, it is known to contain substances that can damage the liver and also cause miscarriages. Larger amounts can irritate the stomach, intestines, and kidneys, and cause serious liver damage.
Special Precautions & Warnings: Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It’s UNSAFE to use ground ivy if you are pregnant. It could cause a miscarriage.

And if you don't have enough of it already, you can order it online, 50 seeds for $2.95!! https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product.asp?specific=2769
https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product.asp?specific=2769

 

[Beverly]

My goodness @MaryMary, you have done a lot of research. I have heard many people in the more temperate and northern climates complain about Creeping Charlie. I haven't seen it where i live, but i appreciate all the work you have done and sharing the results with us. It really illustrates that there is a lot of non-information on the internet that may sound authoritative but can be more opinion than fact. I am always mindful to consider the source of the information and how credible it is. Even "WebMD" sounds credible, but who are they anyway? I think i'll pass purchasing the seeds though. Good job...i'll bet you could keep going for days and find all kinds of conflicting stories and pseudomation.

 

[zigs]

I've found it really good as a chest medicine

 

[MaryMary]

My goodness @MaryMary, you have done a lot of research...(snip)... It really illustrates that there is a lot of non-information on the internet that may sound authoritative but can be more opinion than fact. I am always mindful to consider the source of the information and how credible it is. Even "WebMD" sounds credible, but who are they anyway?

Eh, all I really did was read, then cut and paste!!

I found it on enough "homesteader," "edible weeds," and "foraging," websites, that I wouldn't be afraid to add it to a salad, but I think I'd try the tea first. (Watered down as a test to see how my body reacted, before actually eating the plant itself.) I don't think I'd make it the entire green of my salad, either, the way I would with spinach. Maybe just enough for that "peppery flavor" they were talking about.

I actually included the WebMD site as the one I trusted most, and I'd love to know how to use it to treat tinnitus!!

http://www.webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-who-we-are

The WebMD Medical Team works closely with a team of over 100 nationwide doctors and health experts across a broad range of specialty areas to ensure WebMD's content is up to date, accurate, and helps you live a healthier life.

I've found it really good as a chest medicine

zigs, how do you use it? If I have to yank it out of my flowerbeds by the handfuls, it'd be nice to at least have some use for it!!

 

[zigs]

I make a tea out of it

 

[zigs]

Smells like minty cat wee

 

[MaryMary]

Makes sense... it's a member of the "catmint family!" Sounds like it'll need some honey...

And, now I'm even more not afraid to eat it!

 

[Beth_B]

Wow you do have some mad research skills! I've also stumbled on some evidence of culinary and medicinal properties for creeping charlie (which is the bane of my gardening existence, it is just everywhere here!) I don't mind it one bit in the lawn...it's green, hardy and drought-resistant. But in the veggie and perennial beds it is a pain in the arse. I do find that a heavy layer of bark mulch deters it really well.

 

[IcyBC]

I had creeping charlie in my yard at the old house. They are so invasive even with the lawn being mowed every week, but I had never thought of using them for tea or salad. I am a bit hesitated since we have stray cats' pee and poop everywhere in the neighborhood.

 

[Marck]

Looking at the entire OP suggests that the plant discussed is not edible, but rather medicinal.

Furthermore, the old problem of common name confusion is also in full effect here.
I can think of at least three common plants that are called creeping Charlie, and likely there could be more.

• Glechoma hederacea, also known as Ground-ivy, in the Mint Family (Lamiaceae). This is the plant discussed in the OP.
• Plectranthus verticillatus, also known as Swedish Ivy, though it is a tropical plant native to southern Africa, also in the Mint Family.
• Lysimachia nummularia, also known as Moneywort or Creeping Jenny, in the Primrose Family (Primulaceae).