Hello, my wife and I have a serious problem with our lawn. This "vine" like weed is totally taking over our lawn. It is getting to the point where it is starting to kill my grass and as you can imagine, looks horrible. This stuff is so strong it just starts growing across our driveway, where there is no grass... it just grows across the rocks /pavement. If any of you could help identify it, I would greatly appreciate it. If these pictures aren't good enough, I will provide some more with an actual camera. These are from my cell phone. Again, any help is appreciated. Here is the links to the pictures. http://www.theclarion.org/images/weed1.jpg http://www.theclarion.org/images/weed2.jpg http://www.theclarion.org/images/weed3.jpg http://www.theclarion.org/images/weed4.jpg
Glechoma hederacea, Gill-over-the-ground I believe. http://www.portableherbarium.com/Images/catalog/Glechoma-hederacea.jpg
Wow, thanks for the fast response. If it is what you are calling it. Is there a "easy" was of treating it? As you can tell I am a total "newbie" when it comes to the garden / lawn. Thanks again for such a fast reply!
That link above misnames it; correct English name is Ground-ivy: http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=3500
Some of these pictures I see looking this up on google suggest that this that you named has flowers, I have never seen flowers on mine before. I'm just thankful that I have found what it is, and can begin to try and treat it. It is growing everywhere!
even before looking at your pics, i knew. it's creeping charlie - which is the bane of my existance at the moment! it's only redeeming quality is the pretty purple flower. that's just not enough to allow it to stay though!! yank it up - and you'll need to do so repeatedly as any roots will continue to grow and any bits (leaf, stem) will root and grow, too. it's fairly easy to keep under control in a flower bed - as long as you yank it every couple weeks. in the grass, well, that's a different story...hard to pull it and not get the grass and it's hard to get the roots up when they're intermingled with the grass roots. i've resorted to chemicals - bought the stuff last week and have yet to apply it. ortho brand 'weed b gone max'. i got the big jug with the sprayer attachment - i want it full strength (not diluted as with the jug that you attach the hose to...both containers are the same strength and adding water will thin it out).
I wonder if that Weeb B Gone will take care of it? Please keep me updated on the progress of your treatment!
Not a valid authority for names of a European species. You need to check European sources for valid common names for European species. For English names of European species, the legitimate naming authority is the Botanical Society of the British Isles ( http://www.bsbi.org.uk/html/database.html ) and they state that the English name is Ground-ivy.
We just don't like American imperialists renaming our plants for us and making out that we are ignorant savages who can't be trusted to name our own native plants properly but have to be told to call them something different. It's very obnoxious. How would you like it if people in Britain decided your President had the wrong name and needed a different one?
yes, ground ivy it is. dunno where 'creeping charlie' came from - it's an apt nickname for it though!! as to the weed b gone - it specifically has creeping charlie on the list of items it kills - so, we'll see. i'll post results. as for it being poisonous, well, if it is, then the ferrets know it!! i take them out for walks and they avoid the area where it's completely taken over. their choice, too - i don't have to do anything to keep them away from the area. it's weird, they'll go within 1 foot of the edge of the patch and stand for a moment looking and sniffing and then turn and walk away. totally not their usual behaviour when they see a patch of something that's just a bit taller than they are - they love to tunnel through things and this stuff would be a perfect 'playground'.
This, or something very similar to it is what comprises my whole back yard. I moved into this rental property in November, when everything was no longer growing and going dormant. Anyway, NOW we have to mow it seems like every other day....I don't know what to do, we have 6 dogs, which makes it unrealistic to leash-walk for every single potty break, for ANY length of time. I have read that you can lay newspaper over your yard, and hold it down with stones for a few weeks, and this shades the weeds out, and then you can just til it under and grow a fast growing cover to prevent the weed seedlings from being able to thrive....I've heard of using Dutch clover mixed with grass seed, but I've also read that Dutch clover is a weed....I really have no clue what direction to take, but I need to do SOMETHING!!! Anyway, I'm on a tangent...Good luck with what you decide to do, but just make sure you do SOMETHING, before you are posed with a yard like mine!!!
