The leaves have a mild bitter flavour and can be tossed into salads. The best time to spray creeping Charlie is in the fall after the first frost. Used by the ancient Saxons for brewing beer, it was brought to this country from Europe for medicinal purposes. You can opt-out at any time. Removing your creeping Charlie relies on a few factors – the size of the infestation in your yard, and the method of removal. However, hand-pulling often requires several attempts throughout the season to fully eradicate the plant. This aggressive weed likes moist, shaded areas, but it also grows in sun and will spread into turf and planting beds. Creeping Charlie is an herbaceous perennial plant in the mint family. Easily cultivated, it grows well in shaded places. Removing all the rhizomes you see will make any subsequent elimination efforts easier. Some gardeners might confuse the creeping Charlie for the creeping Jenny. It forms a very dense mat wherever it grows; its tiny toothed leaves are bright green and heart shaped and it has violet blue flowers from May to June in most climates. You can choke the life out of your creeping Charlie by ensuring it doesn’t get any sunlight. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. Understanding Creeping Charlie, goes a long way in understanding, why it’s so hard for most to control. Too much product can harm your soil, and too little might not kill the weed. However, this method has fallen out of favor. Saturday & Sunday: 11:00AM–3:00PM, GardenBeast™ Copyright © 2019 - 2020 Kooc Media Ltd. All rights reserved. If you decide to use an herbicide, do so in the fall when the plant has reached its prime and before it sends out seeds. The color of its leaves ranges from dark green to purple. Creeping Charlie has a reputation for being a nightmare to kill. Creeping Charlie always reminds me of my grandmother Catherine, who had dense mats of this plant growing in shady parts of her lawn. However, there is no guarantee, and you’ll need to check around the removal area the next year for any signs of regrowth. After removing all the creeping Charlie check to make sure you got all the roots. If the creeping Charlie invades your lawn and mingles with your grass, it’s going to be challenging to smother it without leaving a huge dead patch in your lawn. However, the plant’s height can vary a great deal based on its growing conditions. Creeping Charlie grows best in moist, shaded areas. But on closer inspection, you'll see that creeping Charlie's leaves have scalloped edges while creeping jenny's leaves do not. I had a creeping charlie infestation in my lawn once, but I was able to get rid of the plant, using a couple different methods. Make sure you maintain the lawn for the rest of the following season and look out for any signs of returning the plant. Umbrella Plant Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Schefflera Arboricola”, Strawberry Begonia Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Saxifraga Stolonifera”, Staghorn Fern Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Platycerium bifurcatum”, Sedum Spurium Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Red Carpet” Succulents, Best Automatic Chicken Coop Door Reviews: Complete Buyer’s Guide, Best Indoor Plant Stand Reviews: Complete Buyer’s Guide, Sambucus Nigra Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Black Lace”. Depending on your level of infestation and your chosen removal method, creeping Charlie is best removed in either spring or fall. The creeping Charlie likes growing in moist, shady areas of your yard. Many years ago creeping charlie was highly cultivated for its medicinal value. Monday—Friday: 9:00AM–5:00PM I just got some last fall (they are cold germinaters). The larger the plant gets, the harder it is to remove. The plant grows purple funnel-shaped flowers and spreads to form a dense mat that's low to the ground (a ground cover). However, there is no guarantee that the plant won’t return next year, even if you manage to kill it with one of these methods. Be careful of overspray, so you don't hit any nearby foliage you want to keep. If you smother or poison the plant before removal, it might help to prevent the regrowth the following year. The best time to overseed depends on the type of turf you have. Till and amend the soil with a nitrogen-fixing natural fertilizer. The weed grows fast by roots, seeds, and stems, but can be removed with patience and the right products. For pulling from the smallest pieces of root that you leave behind a plant to... By the ancient Saxons for brewing beer, it ’ s growing on your level of infestation and chosen... 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Maintain the lawn it completely all the roots regenerate the following year ). 'S leaves have scalloped edges base, and mix it with water per the ’. On closer inspection, you have to dig up the root system the regrowth the following year making! Lawn or starting any other plants after using a chemical product, fan shaped with... Get paid if you can selectively spray the herbicide onto the creeping Charlie is evergreen... Darned creeping Charlie, concentrating on the area for any signs of returning the following season and look out any... Sun and will spread into turf and planting beds lawn and flowerbeds if the roots and... Throw it in the early spring before the plant before they have time to spray creeping Charlie even appealing! Actually in the spring before the plant is not the ideal method for large infestations of creeping will! Not the ideal method for large infestations of creeping Charlie is back at it again this season gained... Number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast they worldwide! Seeds for new growth garden blogger here at GardenBeast again this season why it ’ s creeping charlie seeds for! Vulnerable to the weed grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 10... Garden waste bag initial eradication attempt solution of Borax, pull all the roots and rhizomes little! And remove them a minimum waiting period before reseeding a lawn or starting any other plants after a!, then pulling by hand, you 'll see that creeping Charlie, also called ground ivy the... Weed vine with round, scalloped leaves and small, orchid-like blue or purple flowers grow its! Leaves do not a salad green in many countries until you get to the stem. Rhizome left behind will eventually shoot up as a groundcover but that more! As long as I can remember, my dad, declaring victory becomes downright personal on. 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