Ground Ivy

Glechoma hederacea

Family: Lamiaceae Part used: Aerial parts (leaves, stems, flowers — fresh or dried)

Key Compounds

• Pulegone
• Menthone
• Pinocamphone
• Rosmarinic acid
• Luteolin
• Apigenin
• Caffeic acid
• Tannins
• Ursolic acid
• Beta-caryophyllene
• Marrubiin

Traditional Use

• Sinus congestion and catarrh — traditional European application; the stimulating volatile oils (pulegone, menthone) thin and promote drainage of sinus mucus; rosmarinic acid provides anti-inflammatory support; traditionally used as a nasal wash or strong infusion for chronic sinusitis and catarrh; the stimulating expectorant action makes it appropriate for cold, damp, congested states rather than hot or dry inflammatory conditions
• Respiratory expectorant — traditional use for cough with thick mucus production; the volatile oils stimulate mucosal secretion and drainage; combined with sinus applications, this reflects a broader upper respiratory expectorant character; use modest doses and short courses due to pulegone content
• Ale clarification and preservation (historical) — 'alehoof' was used to fine (clarify) ale, provide bittering, and extend preservation before hops were widely adopted in England; the tannins and volatile oils contributed both clarity and some antimicrobial preservation effect; hops (*Humulus lupulus*) progressively replaced alehoof from the 15th century onward; the application is now entirely historical
• Topical wound and skin support — traditional external use as a wound wash; rosmarinic acid and tannins provide anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial effects; applied as a strong infusion wash or fresh herb poultice to minor wounds and skin irritations; safer external application than internal given pulegone content

Before hops, there was alehoof.

Ground ivy clarified, bittered, and preserved ale across England for centuries. The tannins cleared the protein haze. The volatile oils provided some bitterness and slowed spoilage. Alehoof did three jobs simultaneously and did them adequately.

Hops (Humulus lupulus) did them better. Hops arrived in England progressively from the 15th century. Some English brewers resisted. They called hops a Dutch innovation. They kept using alehoof. They lost. By the 17th century, hops had won, and alehoof was out of work.

Now it grows in every lawn and smells pleasantly of mint when mown. Its industrial history is not widely known.

Meet the plant

A trailing perennial forming dense mats in lawns, hedgebanks, and shaded garden beds. Small scalloped kidney-shaped leaves on square stems (the square stem is Lamiaceae’s signature). Small tubular violet-blue flowers in whorls. Strong mint-like aroma when crushed. Common in every temperate region of the world that has been gardened.

It is not a true ivy. The name refers to the growth habit, not the botany.

The name question

The plant has accumulated names in proportion to its historical uses.

Alehoof — the most accurate: from the ale application, the reason the plant was economically important for centuries.

Gill-over-the-ground — from Old French guiller (to ferment, to brew): another ale reference that has been entirely forgotten by everyone who uses the name.

Ground ivy — not an ivy, growth habit only; the most commonly used name; the least informative.

Of all the plants in this database that have been renamed by people who didn’t know what they were looking at, this one has the most names that inadvertently document a brewing history no one remembers.

The pulegone consideration

Ground ivy contains pulegone — the same compound found in pennyroyal, the historically notorious abortifacient herb. Ground ivy has it at lower concentrations than pennyroyal, but the compound is present and the mechanism applies.

The consequences: avoid in pregnancy (genuinely, not as precautionary hedging — pulegone causes uterine contractions at sufficient dose). Use short courses and modest amounts. The genus name Glechoma comes from the Greek word for pennyroyal — the ancient Greeks noticed the chemical relationship before the chemistry was characterised.

The hepatotoxic metabolite (menthofuran) becomes relevant at high sustained doses. Typical short-course medicinal use at recommended amounts does not reach this threshold. Typical lawn-mowing inhalation exposure is not a concern.

The respiratory application

The residual contemporary use is as a stimulating expectorant for sinus congestion and catarrh. The volatile oils (pulegone, menthone) thin and promote drainage of sinus mucus. Rosmarinic acid provides anti-inflammatory support. The traditional sinus wash — strong infusion applied to nasal passages — is the most direct approach.

The energetic character in traditional Western herbalism: stimulating and warming, appropriate for cold, damp, congested states rather than hot or dry inflammatory conditions. Not for dry sinusitis or irritated mucous membranes.

Short courses. Modest doses. These are the operating conditions.

What people actually do with it

Infusion (respiratory/sinus): ½–1 teaspoon dried aerial parts per cup, steeped 5–10 minutes. 1–2 cups daily for 1–2 weeks maximum. The lower end of typical herbal preparations.

Sinus wash: Strong infusion cooled to body temperature, used as a nasal rinse for sinus congestion.

Topical wash: Double-strength infusion applied as a wash or compress to minor wounds.

Could you grow this yourself?

You almost certainly already have it. Ground ivy appears unbidden in temperate gardens and requires no cultivation. The more relevant question is whether you can remove it once established, which is a different and considerably more challenging project.

For medicinal use, harvest fresh aerial parts (young spring growth preferred) before flowering.

Ground ivy (カキドオシ) in Japan

The Japanese native variety — Glechoma hederacea var. grandis (カキドオシ, kakidōshi, literally ‘fence-passer’) — is used in Japanese folk medicine primarily for kidney stones and urinary complaints. Infusions of the dried herb are used to encourage passage of small kidney stones, with diuretic and antispasmodic applications.

This differs from the European emphasis on respiratory and sinus conditions. Both traditions are working with the same plant’s chemistry but applying it to different organ systems. The Japanese application is folk rather than formal kampo — カキドオシ is not a standard kampo ingredient.

Things you’re probably wondering

Is ‘gill-over-the-ground’ a reference to fish? No — ‘gill’ here comes from Old French guiller (to ferment or brew), another ale reference. The name documents the plant’s brewing role in the same way ‘alehoof’ does, just less obviously. Several of ground ivy’s names are etymological fossils of an industry that no longer uses it.

Can you eat it? Young leaves can be used sparingly as a culinary herb in salads or to flavour soups. The aroma and flavour are mint-like and distinctly camphoraceous. The amount used in cooking is not a pulegone-dose concern. The herb was used historically as a green vegetable before the domesticated salad plants we use now became available.

Botanical details

The full compound list

See Also

• Pennyroyal — shares pulegone; stronger concentrations; similar cautions apply
• Elderflower — sinus and respiratory; combined historically for chronic catarrh
• Eyebright — sinus and upper respiratory complement; often combined for head congestion

References

• Grieve, M. (1931). A Modern Herbal. Dover. (Alehoof and ale-brewing applications documented)
• Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.
• Brown, P. (1995). The Complete Book of Traditional and Modern Brewing. Storey Publishing. (Historical context for hop adoption)
• Wichtl, M. (Ed.). (2004). Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Medpharm Scientific. (Pulegone content and safety)