Glechoma hederacea

Glechoma hederacea is a solid ground cover, sweet smelling and covered in small blue flowers in the summer.

The leaves are round and fragrant – reminiscent of mint. This should come as no surprise as they are, after all, from the same family.

The flowers are little and blue and they attract all the bees and butterflies.

This is an effective substitute for lawns or regular grasses as it can withstand moderate foot traffic.

The Tale:

European settlers transported Glechoma hederacae everywhere, as an edible and medicinal plant. It is in fact rich in essential oils, vitamin C, provitamin A, zinc, iron, silicon, molybdenum, and calcium.

However, its rapid growth rate and its rhizomatous root systems meant that it quickly colonized the areas it was was introduced to.

It is still considered invasive in several states in the United States.

A close cousin to the mints and thymes,(Hedera is the genus of the majority of the ivy varieties).