365 Urban Species. #118: Ground Ivy

[urbpan]

Photos by cottonmanifesto
Urban species #118: Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea

Members of the mint family (Lamiaceae) can be identified by their square stems. This is our clue that ground ivy isn't an ivy at all. Like most of the weeds found in the cities of New England, ground ivy is a plant native to Europe, used in the past for food and/or medicine. Ground ivy can be made into tea, used for various medicinal reasons, and was used to flavor beer before hops edged it out.