Honey bees
Nectar value
Medium
Pollen value
Unknown
Pollinator plant
Ground Ivy, Aleroot
Glechoma hederacea
Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Bee value
Who this plant supports
Agroforestry database
Complete plant information
Structure
- Vegetation layer
- Herbaceous, Ground cover
- Size
- Small
- Dimensions
- 0.20 m high × 1.00 m wide
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
Site conditions
- USDA hardiness
- 3-10
- Moisture
- Moist
- Soil
- Loamy, Clay
- pH
- Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
- Light
- Partial shade, Sun
Uses
- Edible parts
- Leaves, Seasoning, Tea
- Functions
- Pollinator plant, Ground cover
- Edibility
- 2 out of 5
- Medicinal value
- 3 out of 5
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.