# What is this purple flower?



## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Anybody know what this is? It is a few inches tall and is everywhere. The bees absolutely love it. Thanks for your help.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Ground Ivy! Weed! Kill it! Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

Sorry, been a many year battle for my gardens with that nuisance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glechoma_hederacea


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Thanks. I don't think I could kill it. When I say it is everywhere, I mean everywhere. It's a toss up what I have more of: this ground ivy, clover or thistle.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Hard to tell by your picture but it looks like henbit to me...a member of the mint family but not as useful. Terminate it, it seeds profusely and looks like crap in a lawn/garden.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I've read borax kills it. Sometimes I think dumping borax over the whole yard isn't a bad idea. But so far I've been too chicken to do it. I try to keep it pulled out of the gardens and flower beds. Just spent 1/2 hour pulling that and other weeds today.

If the rabbits would eat it I wouldn't mind so much but they won't touch it.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Yes, that is Ground Ivy, also known as Creeping Charlie, it's a member of the mint family so like all other mints it can spread like wildfire. 

Ground Ivy is historically a very useful and safe medicinal herb with a great variety of uses, if that makes any difference to you (see culinary and medicinal uses in links below). I like ground ivy, it is so delicate looking and the little flowers look a lot like tiny orchids. I don't mind it in the lawn, I think it looks nice with all the little blue flowers and it mows down just as easily as the grass does. It's easy to pull up out of flower beds and veggie gardens. Some people hate it, some people value it. I value it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glechoma_hederacea

http://downtoearthmedicine.blogspot.ca/2009/06/ground-ivy.html


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Huh, looks like morning glory to me!
I need to frequent this forum more...


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Paumon said:


> Yes, that is Ground Ivy, also known as Creeping Charlie, it's a member of the mint family so like all other mints it can spread like wildfire.
> 
> Ground Ivy is historically a very useful and safe medicinal herb with a great variety of uses, if that makes any difference to you (see culinary and medicinal uses in links below). I like ground ivy, it is so delicate looking and the little flowers look a lot like tiny orchids. I don't mind it in the lawn, I think it looks nice with all the little blue flowers and it mows down just as easily as the grass does. It's easy to pull up out of flower beds and veggie gardens. Some people hate it, some people value it. I value it.
> 
> ...


I think it's pretty and the bees absolutely love it. I'm a little strange I guess because I also think dandelions are pretty. As long as it isn't harmful to the chickens, goats and sheep I plan on having eventually I'm ok with leaving it.


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

I think anything that flowers, and especially anything that has flowers that bees love, is far prettier than grass could ever be!


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## texasramblerbj (Aug 13, 2013)

By the picture it looks to be up in the air. is it? or on the ground. morning glory is pretty, but does take over. can kill out other plants. but I would mow this before it went to seed............grin........no matter what it is.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

texasramblerbj said:


> By the picture it looks to be up in the air. is it? or on the ground. morning glory is pretty, but does take over. can kill out other plants. but I would mow this before it went to seed............grin........no matter what it is.


No, it's on the ground, mainly behind the garage and some other random spots. DH will probably do some mowing next week.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I have pulling out lots today. I really don't care for the odor. While pulling the creeping Charlie I heard a buzz behind me. A hummingbird came from behind, flew around to my left side and settled on a wire cage at my eye level. Just looked into my face for awhile. 12 to 15 inches away. I have never done nectar feeders but I think a request has been made.  WI


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

This is NOT morning glory.

I love dandelions too but not in my garden. At least with the dandelions when I have to pull them they provide food for my rabbits. I used to like ground ivy when I was a kid and the only place it grew was under the pine tree in our front yard. But at this place it is everywhere! Too much competition for my little garden seedlings.

Mosquitoes like it too. In the heat of the summer there are always mosquitoes in the ground ivy.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Ground Ivy, AKA creeping Charlie. Tears up real easy, comes back even easier. Tore a bed of sedum apart today to get rid of the stuff.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I was given the recipe several years ago to spray on it that used borax. Followed the steps to the letter didn't work.
I have used straight vinegar with some luck.
I have had best results where I can lay a tarp over it to block the sun lite for about a week. I also use card board, most wood mulches doesn't stop it for long. 
Not only does it seed easy it it spreads by the use of tendrils like strawberry's.

 Al


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## clothAnnie (May 6, 2011)

I can't tell if it's the same but we have something looking very similar that is bearing a small little fruit looking thing. Does creeping Charlie do that? My kids will be happy to know a name for it if it's the same thing. I think they're calling them "ground apples" lol (not eating them!!)


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