GROUND-IVY (Gill-Over-the-Ground) 



Glecoma heterophylla Waldst. ^ Kit. 



April - June 

 Gardens, woods 



A creeping catnip — this is ground-ivy or gill-over- 



dest rover of grass 



the-ground, a common ground cover which, in this 

 capacity, may be verv^ useful or may be reviled as a 

 However, ground-ivy nhnost always grows in the dee]) 

 shade beneath trees where grass is seldom successful, and may be used 

 effectively as a ground cover when other greenery fails to thrive. 



The leaves of ground-ivy are round and scalloped; they are sensitive 

 to frost and vanish early in autumn. Very early next spring, however, the 

 new leaves and stems come forth, and there are innumerable pairs of 

 bright purple, tubular flowers in the axils of the glossy leaves. Ground- 

 ivy often, appears even before the flowers of those other early spring 

 blossoms, the spring beauties and violets, and sometimes is the first 

 flower to be found in bloom. When the flowers are produced in abundance, 

 the effect of a bed of ground-ivy is that of a carpet of purple. 



Ground-ivy is highly aromatic when bruised and contains a bitter, 

 volatile oil which is poisonous to cattle who chance to eat either the green 

 or dried leaves mixed in hay and fodder. The plant, however, is so aro- 

 matic that the nuijority of animals instinctively avoid it; and, in conse- 

 quence, few are ever poisoned by eating it. 



