Plant Details

Glechoma hederacea

Ground Ivy, Aleroot

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Common names

54 names · 31 languages
EnglishYour language
  • alehoffs[2]
  • Aleroot
  • cat's foot[2]
+12 more namesShow fewer names
  • creeping Charlie[2]
  • field balm[2]
  • field-balm[2]
  • gill over the ground[2]
  • gill-over-the-ground[2]
  • gill-over-the-hill[2]
  • Ground Ivy[2]
  • Ground-ivy[1][2]
  • hay maids[2]
  • haymaids[2]
  • runaway robin[2]
  • runaway-robin[2]
Other languages (30)
Dutch
French
  • Lierre terrestre[2]
Armenian
  • Գետնաբաղեղ բաղեղանման[2]
Belarusian
  • Блюшчык плюшчападобны[2]
Catalan
  • heura de terra[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 欧活血丹[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 大馬蹄草[2]
  • 歐活血丹[2]
Czech
  • popenec obecný[2]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik maajalg[2]
  • kassiratas[2]
Finnish
  • Maahumala[2]
  • rohtomaahumala[2]
German
  • Echt-Gundelrebe[2]
  • Gewöhnlicher Gundermann[1]
  • Gundermann[2]
Hungarian
  • földi borostyán[2]
  • földi repkény[2]
  • Kerek repkény[2]
Irish
  • Athair lusa[2]
Italian
  • Edera terrestre[2]
Japanese
  • セイヨウカキドオシ[2]
Kazakh
  • Барқытжапырақ[2]
Latvian
  • Efeju sētložņa[2]
Lithuanian
  • Šliaužiančioji tramažolė[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Bluszczyk kurdybanek[2]
Portuguese
  • Hera-de-canteiro[2]
Russian
  • Будра плющевидная[2]
  • Будра стелющаяся[2]
  • собачья мята[2]
Slovak
  • zádušník brečtanovitý[2]
Slovenian
  • bršljanasta grenkuljica[2]
Spanish
  • hiedra terrestre[2]
Swedish
Turkish
  • Yer Nanesi[2]
Ukrainian
  • Розхідник звичайний[2]
Welsh
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Glechoma hederacea L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Gewöhnlicher Gundermann (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 159754; taxon 3G6WF.
  • Ground-ivy (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 159755; taxon 3G6WF.
[2] Glechoma hederacea — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • ground-ivy — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Hondsdraf — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Gundermann — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Echt-Gundelrebe — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Будра плющевидная — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Будра стелющаяся — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Maahumala — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Lierre terrestre — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Jordreva — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • creeping Charlie — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • ground ivy — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • gill-over-the-ground — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Hera-de-canteiro — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Bluszczyk kurdybanek — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • popenec obecný — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • hiedra terrestre — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Korsknap — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • harilik maajalg — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • kassiratas — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • korsknapp — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Šliaužiančioji tramažolė — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • rohtomaahumala — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • 大馬蹄草 — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Edera terrestre — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • zádušník brečtanovitý — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Efeju sētložņa — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Розхідник звичайний — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Գետնաբաղեղ բաղեղանման — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Блюшчык плюшчападобны — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • 欧活血丹 — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • bršljanasta grenkuljica — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Kerek repkény — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • セイヨウカキドオシ — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • földi repkény — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • földi borostyán — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Athair lusa — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • 歐活血丹 — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Барқытжапырақ — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • heura de terra — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • собачья мята — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Eidral — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • runaway-robin — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • haymaids — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • field-balm — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • alehoffs — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • cat's foot — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • field balm — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • gill-over-the-hill — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • hay maids — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • runaway robin — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • gill over the ground — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.
  • Yer Nanesi — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 55830; Glechoma hederacea.

General information

Scientific name: Glechoma hederacea
Accepted name (Kew): Glechoma hederacea L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Lamiaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Glechoma (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Ground Ivy, Aleroot
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.20 m
Spread: 1.00 m
Growth rate: Fast
Sources [3]
Foliage: Evergreen
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Creeping, Horizontal, Multi-stemmed, Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Dappled Sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Condiment, Tea
Edibility rating:
(2)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Bee forage, Ground cover

Description

Young leaves of the ground-ivy plant can be eaten both raw and cooked. They have a somewhat bitter taste and are perfect for salads. Additionally, they can also be used in dishes instead of spinach or as a seasoning, such as in soups. These leaves can be harvested early in the year and are ideal for making herbal tea, both fresh and dried. They are often mixed with verbena leaves. Furthermore, the herbs can be added to beer as a substitute for hops, which was the most common method of brewing beer before the 16th century.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/03
Harvest ends: 31/10

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1025320; name ID 90035; Glechoma L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1025359; name ID 90109; Glechoma hederacea L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Glechoma hederacea

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 268734, ID 3G6WF: Glechoma hederacea L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Glechoma hederacea — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: Growth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .