05/15/2024
This is a prolific plant in urban settings.
Hello GILL-OVER-THE-GROUND / Ground Ivy / Creeping Charlie = same plant with many names!
Did you know, you can eat the lovely little blue flowers of gill-over-the-ground (scientific name: Glechoma hederacea). The leaves are also edible, and can be minced into dishes for an aromatic accent reminiscent of musky-oregano-mint, but really a flavor all its own.
This aromatic, wild, prolific perennial of the Lamiaceae family, (often hated for its invasiveness), is a diuretic, digestive and is also used for chelating heavy metals (lead) out of the body; quite powerful actions for such a common plant. I bet some is growing nearby!
To help with ID, harvest and use, here is the first page of the Gill-Over-the-Ground Plant Map from "Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook" by Dina Falconi (me), illustrated by Wendy Hollender.
More about our book on our site at www.ForagingAndFeasting.com Perhaps you'd like a copy, or ask your local library to order it!
Do you use gill-over-the-ground for food or medicine, and if yes, how so?
If you enjoy foraging & medicine-making, I invite you to explore my online course Wild Food Health Boosters & Herbal Remedies here http://www.WildFoodHealthBoosters.com
