10/22/2013
Ground Ivy, or “Creeping Charlie” is probably the most
difficult perennial broadleaf weed to control in Iowa. It is an excellent
indicator of compacted and poorly drained soils. Ground ivy reproduces by seed
and also by rooting on its creeping stems. It was first introduced to the
United States as a ground cover alternative in shaded areas. However, its
extensive runners (up to 5-10 ft. long) not only began out-competing lawn grasses
in the shade, but it quick spread rapidly into full sun.
Ground Ivy is easy to identify with its distinct square and
prostrating stems, which readily root at the nodes (as seen to the right from
the Scotts grass manual). The leaves are round to kidney-shaped; borne
on a short petiole. When crushed or mowed
the leaves give off an aromatic minty odor. This aromatic odor often characterizes the Lamiaceae or “mint family” and
contains many household cooking spices such as basil, rosemary, and peppermint.
Ground Ivy has bright green leaves on an opposite leaf arrangement. The bluish-purple,
trumpet-shaped flowers usually appear in May. The best time to treat ground ivy with postemergence herbicides is when it is translocating carbohydrates deep underground in the late fall and maybe even as late/after the first frost. The late fall application will not yield visible results until the spring. Repeated applications and persistence over multiple seasons may be required for complete control. Even with complete control there is a strong possibility it will move back in rapidly from a surrounding area. A combination of postemergence herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP and triclopyr provides the best potential control. Below you will find a few additional pictures.
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