Glechoma hederacea L

Ground ivy is mostly ignored by modern materia medica in favor of the better known members of the mint family, but that does not mean this common little ground weed is not worth knowing. Search the term ground ivy on the internet and you will find a lot of information on how to kill it once it has invaded your lawn. I have pulled out uncounted handfuls of the stuff myself when it threatened to take over the lawn and smother the grass. But if you follow your search deeper into the old herbals you will find ground ivy was a highly regarded herb in the time of Galen and Dioscorides and the sheer number of common names in old English (alehoof, Lizzy or Robin runs up the hedge, hedge-maids, tunhoof, cat's foot, field balm and others) speaks to the place ground ivy held in country folklore in a simpler time. Writing in the 1970s, Alma Hutchens praised ground ivy as “A singular herb for all inward wounds, ulcerated lungs.. A decoction of ale hoof and a good wine taken over time will ease sciatica, hip gout or arthritic hands and knees.” She gives a salve recipe for easing all types of skin irritations mixing fresh calendula, ground ivy and honey which sounds as if it would be very effective indeed.(Handbook of Native American Herbs, pp1-2)

Primarily it is used as a bitter tonic, as a nutritive tea high in Vitamin C, and as an excellent remedy for a stubborn cough. ¹