Glechoma hederacea

GLECHOMA hederacea
(NEPETA glechoma,
NEPETA hederacea)
Ground Ivy

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Type:
Perennial

Height: 2-6" (5-15 cm)

Flowering Time: Summer

Flower Colour: Mauve

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Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)

Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)

Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder)

Order: Lamiales (Nettle Order)

Family: Lamiaceae (Nettle Family)

Genus: Glechoma

Species: hederacea (ivy-like)

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Glechoma hederacea is a versatile wildflower, happy both creeping at ground level among short grasses or standing upright in damper woodlands. In grassland or in gardens, it produces few of its bright mauve-blue flowers along its stringy stems, but in damper situations, flower spikes up to 6" or so bear loose whorls of mauve-blue flowers in the leaf axils. The leaves are rounded, on long stalks, and the plant spreads by rooting at the nodes.
Glechoma hederacea contains chemicals that have been used in herbal medicines since the sixteenth century to treat respiratory and digestive problems. It was once called Alehoof, because it was used to flavour and clarify beer.
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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Germination:
Summer
Outside
(32 days)

Seed Pod There is no seed pod. The seeds are at the bottom of the calyx.
Seed The seeds are tiny dark brown nuts. There are four seeds from each individual
flower on the flower spike.
Seedling The seedling has heart-shaped leaves.

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				Germination: Summer Outside (32 days)
Seed Pod There is no seed pod. The seeds are at the bottom of the calyx. Seed The seeds are tiny dark brown nuts. There are four seeds from each individual flower on the flower spike. Seedling The seedling has heart-shaped leaves.