Creeping Charlie (ground ivy)
The hardest lawn weed in the Midwest. Square stems, scalloped round leaves, purple flowers in April, and it roots at every node so one plant becomes a mat.
- •Round, scalloped, kidney-shaped leaves
- •Square stems (roll one between your fingers)
- •Small purple-blue flowers in April and May
- •Minty smell when crushed
- •Spreads in shade and moist areas
Shade, moisture, and compacted soil. It wins wherever grass is weak, especially under trees and along north-facing fences.
Late September through mid-October, when the plant is pulling sugars into its roots, is the only window that gives lasting control.
- Hand-pull after rain, getting every rooted node, then overseed with fine fescue in shade
- Prune trees to let more light hit the lawn
- Core aerate compacted areas
Iron HEDTA is the only eco product with a real effect. Three applications, three weeks apart, in May, then again in September. Smothering with cardboard and mulch for 8 weeks works for a dense patch you are willing to reseed.
Track the price of Iron HEDTA lawn weed killer (Natria Lawn Weed Control or Fiesta)You may be managing this for years rather than eliminating it. The win condition is a thick fescue lawn in the shade that holds it to a few sprigs you pull each spring.
We never link to or price-track conventional herbicides. This panel exists so you understand what a service is selling you.