Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Glechoma hederacea

ground ivy

A vigorous spreading, mat-forming evergreen perennial, creeping by prostrate stolons. Flowering stems sub-erect, to 10cm. Flowers are commonly violet-blue, but pink and white forms also occur

Other common names

ale gill
alehoof
see moreblue runner
candlesticks
cat's foot
cat's paws
creeping Charlie
creeping Jenny
crow victuals
crow's guts
devil's candlestick
field balm
field balsam
Gill
Gill-go-by-the-street
Gill-over-the-ground
Gill-run-over
hay maids
hayfoot
hayhoof
hedge maids
hen and chickens
hove
Jill-on-the-ground
purple chickweed
Robin-run-away
Robin-run-in-the-hedge
runaway Robin
tunhoof
turnhoof
wandering Jenny
wild snakeroot

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
4 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Glechoma are perennial herbs with long, trailing stolons, roundish crenate-serrate opposite leaves, and small labiate flowers in whorls in the leaf axils, usually blue
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Eurasia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Tolerates a range of soils and positions

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or autumn, or by softwood cuttings in late spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Low Maintenance
Ground cover
Banks and slopes
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Prune as required to keep under control

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.