Download Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny
Glechoma hederacea
Creeping Jenny, also called Creeping Charlie, a
perennial herb introduced from Europe, is generally
not a threat to established native plant communities
except along woodland edges. It is a common pest in
lawns and shady areas where it forms a dense mat that
eliminates other vegetation. A member of the Mint
Family, it is toxic to horses when eaten in large
quantities, either fresh or in hay.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, lawns, gardens, open woods,
damp, shaded areas, pastures, roadsides. Creeping
Jenny prefers areas with moderate moisture.
Leaves: Simple; opposite; kidney-shaped; 0.5-1 inch
in diameter; scalloped edges; deep green; reddish cast
if growing in full sun; hairless; long-stemmed; veins
radiate outward; have a somewhat offensive minty
odor when crushed, unlike the garlic smell of firstyear of first-year Garlic Mustard, a species with
which Creeping Jenny is sometimes confused. Creeping Jenny has rounded teeth and all
of the leaves are more or less alike.
Flowers: Small; bluish purple; 0.5-1 inch long; funnel-shaped
with five equal teeth; 2-lipped; upper lip has two shallow
lobes; lower lip has 3 larger lobes; borne is clusters of 3-6
flowers in leaf axils on short, erect, flower stems; bloom
April through June.
Fruit: Pods containing four one-sided nutlets.
Stems: Square; slender; sprawl over ground to form a thick,
tangled mat; have numerous flowering branches; typically
about 2 feet long.
Root System: Shallow, fibrous roots; form at base and at
almost every leaf node on stem.
Reproduction: By creeping stems and, to a lesser degree, by
seed.
Control: Small patches can be carefully pulled or
raked out when the soil is damp. Care must be taken
to remove all roots since stems break off easily.
Glyphosate may be used in areas totally overrun. All
leaves should be well covered. Fall applications of
fertilizer containing 2,4-D in lawn areas may be
effective, but over-treatment often results since the
entire lawn may not be affected. Spot application of
2,4-D in combination with dicamba and mecoprop
(MCPP) can be used when flowering or after the first
hard frost in fall. (Dicamba may affect trees.) New
plants of Creeping Jenny may develop from the seed
bank after initial control measures.