We found this in early April, a huge patch growing amongst the cabbage plants and litter on scrappy soil on the cliff side of the car park. The patch was a mass of tiny purple blue flowers and roundish, hairy leaves spreading to cover the ground.
It looked well established and could have been flowering since March. It blossoms through to May.
The plant is perennial and spreads through stolons. It is treated as a weed by some gardeners.
Each flower has a fringe of white hairs over lower lip of three petals and the top two has two tiny white star like stamens. The bees were loving it.
The broken leaf smells minty and the plant belongs to the mint or deadnettle family. At first we wondered if it was deadnettle but its flowers are more violet than pink.
The leaves can be used as a herb instead of mint or thyme. The young shoots and leaves can be added raw to salads.
Ground Ivy used to be an important ingredient in Maundy Thursday soup
It is also known as Gill-over-the-ground, creeping Charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, Lizzy-run-up-the-hedge, Devil’s candlesticks and run-away-robin. It was known as Our Lady’s vine in Medieval times.
It was a favourite ingredient in spells and magic because it grows so readily in graveyards, ruins and shady places thought to be visited by witches.
As far back as the Saxons, it was used as a bittering agent in beer brewing until it was replaced by hops.
It’s also known as a lung-cleansing herb and has been used to treat coughs and other respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis. An infusion from it can also heal eyes.
It has been used a substitute for animal rennet to make cheese.
It is a rich source of vitamin C and can be used as a herbal tea.
We think the right hand plant is Ground Ivy, the left is Red Dead Nettle
