Is Creeping Charlie a Broadleaf Weed? | Lawn Weed ID & Control

Yes, Creeping Charlie is a broadleaf weed in the mint family, meaning the broadleaf-selective herbicides in your sprayer target it by design rather than by accident.

If you are staring at a low, fast-spreading mat of scalloped leaves and purple flowers in your lawn, you are dealing with a broadleaf perennial named Glechoma hederacea. Because it is a true broadleaf, standard broadleaf herbicide combinations work — but only with the right timing and active ingredients. Most lawns attacked by Creeping Charlie lose ground because homeowners use the wrong product or apply it in spring when the plant is least vulnerable. Below is what actually kills it and why the identification matters.

How To Identify Creeping Charlie In Your Lawn

Creeping Charlie (ground ivy) produces rounded, kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges and a crinkled texture. The leaves grow opposite each other along square stems, and when you crush them, they release a strong minty smell. It blooms from April through June with small, bluish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers. The root system is a mix of shallow stems that root at the nodes (stolons) and underground rhizomes, which is why the weed spreads into dense mats and survives hand pulling if even a small piece remains.

Two common look-alikes lead to failed treatments: wild violet, which has heart-shaped leaves and thicker roots, and henbit, which has more deeply lobed leaves and an upright growth habit that is easier to pull. Mistaking either of these for Creeping Charlie often means picking the wrong herbicide formulation — wild violet, for example, requires triclopyr at higher rates than what works on ground ivy.

Why Creeping Charlie Is A Broadleaf Weed — And Why That Matters

The plant family classification decides which herbicides will kill it and which will leave it untouched. Creeping Charlie belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae), making it a dicot — the textbook definition of a broadleaf. Grass-specific herbicides (the kind that kill crabgrass or foxtail) do not affect it at all. Broadleaf-selective herbicides that contain triclopyr, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP, sulfentrazone, or an iron chelate called Fe-HEDTA are the ones that work. The most effective combination is 2,4-D plus triclopyr, because triclopyr is the ingredient Creeping Charlie resists least. Products labeled for “tough broadleaf weeds” or specifically for ground ivy typically use that mix.

One quirk worth knowing: Creeping Charlie has a waxy leaf surface that makes liquid herbicides bead up and roll off unless you add a non-ionic surfactant. Most good broadleaf herbicides for lawns already include one, but if you are mixing concentrate, check the label.

When To Spray Creeping Charlie For The Best Kill

Fall application (late September through early November) is the single most effective window, because the plant is moving carbohydrates down into its roots for winter storage — and the herbicide moves right along with them. A second application roughly one month later catches surviving stolons. The second-best window is spring (April through June), when the plant is actively blooming and growing, but spring-only treatments rarely eradicate a full infestation in one season. Summer heat stresses both the weed and the surrounding grass, and herbicide uptake slows. Apply when temperatures are in the mid-60s to low 80s°F, with no rain expected for 24 hours and wind below 5 mph. Do not mow for 2 to 3 days before spraying and leave the mower in the shed for at least 2 days after so the herbicide has time to translocate to the roots.

Avoid spraying triclopyr, 2,4-D, or dicamba anywhere near the root zones of trees and ornamentals — these broadleaf herbicides move through soil and can damage woody ornamentals and shallow-rooted trees like maples and oaks.

Non-Chemical Options — And What They Can Actually Do

Manual control works only if you remove every piece of stem and root, because a single rooted node left behind regenerates within weeks. Dethatching the lawn aggressively (in fall, before spraying) opens the canopy and lets herbicide reach the low-growing runners. Black plastic laid over a patch for two to three weeks in hot weather will kill the vegetation underneath, including the grass. Glyphosate (non-selective, kills everything) works on isolated patches but leaves bare soil that new weeds will colonize unless you reseed immediately. Mowing does not eradicate it — it only forces the weed to grow lower and spread wider. Pre-emergent herbicides stop Creeping Charlie seeds from germinating but have zero effect on an established plant. In heavy infestations, expect two to three years of consistent fall applications before the weed is gone from your lawn.