A frustrated New Jersey homeowner turned to Reddit for assistance after an unidentified plant began aggressively spreading throughout their yard, making it nearly impossible to remove.
In a post on r/NativePlantGardening, a user described their struggle with invasive species in their shaded, moist lawn.
“I’m getting IDs all over and I am nowhere near expert enough to figure it out on my own,” the original poster wrote. “I see there’s a native pennywort but I haven’t been able to figure out how to tell it apart from its non-native relative.”
While some commenters speculated that the plant was ground ivy or a type of pennywort, others immediately identified it as creeping Charlie, a notoriously invasive species.
One user complained, “In my experience, this stuff is impossible to get rid of.”
Creeping Charlie thrives in damp, shady areas and spreads rapidly and aggressively. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources states that “Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) was brought to the United States likely for food and medicinal reasons.” It was previously known as “ale ivy,” as it was a common ingredient in beer.
Homeowners attempting to remove invasive plants frequently discover that traditional methods such as hand-pulling and mowing provide only temporary relief.
Aside from the hassle of managing invasive plants, native species provide a more sustainable solution. Switching to native plants or rewilding your yard can save you time and money on maintenance while also helping the environment.
In this case, commenters suggested planting native species like jewelweed to outcompete the invasive plant. “It’s a huge pain in stone, but Jewelweed got it figured out around my little pond. “I see it and ground ivy in the spring, but it gets buried in foliage,” one user commented.