Rowan Remedies

glechoma-hederacea

Latin:Glechoma hederacea

Also Known As: Cat’s Foot, Gill-Go-By-Ground, Gill-Creep-By-Ground, Turnhoof, Alehoof, Haymaids, Tun Hoof, Gill Ale, Gill, Gill Hen, Hedge Maids, Jenny Run-ith Ground, Jill, Hayfole, Heihow, Heyhove, Devil’s Candlestick, Creeping Charlie, Field Balm, Lizzy-run-up-the-hedge, Robin-run-up-the-hedge

Family:Lamiaceae

Habitat and Description: Ground Ivy is a low growing, creeping plant, which does not usually grow to more than 20cms tall. It has erect, square stems and round, blunt toothed leaves in opposing pairs. The flowers are blue – violet in colour, with three lower petals and two upper, and often have darker blue or mauve blotches on. The leaves sometimes become red tinged if the plant grows in full sun, and the plant flowers between April and July.

The plant can often be found growing in woodlands, patches of scrub and at the sides of paths, as well as in meadows and near rivers as it likes damp soil. It is found across most of Europe. The plant is quite aromatic when picked. We have a lot of it growing locally – plenty of it down near the river, where it forms very attractive blue green carpets in mid to late April. It is also found growing in meadows and fields, and is one of my favourite spring flowering herbs.

Parts Used: Leaves

Constituents: Ground Ivy contains essential oils such as limonene and menthone, flavonoids, triterpenes such as alpha and beta ursolic acids and oleanolic acid, Marrubiin which is a diterpene, and Polyphenolic acids such as Rosmarinic acid. It also contains Vitamin C. flavonoid

Planetary Influence: Unsurprisingly, the plant is ruled by Venus. Culpeper comments that it will work well when used to treat complaints ruled by the influence of Mars as well as to treat complaints ruled by Venus.

Associated Deities and Heroes: Spring Goddesses, and possibly by extension mythic archetypes such as Blodeuedd and other Maiden Goddesses such as Kore / Persephone

Festival: Ostara (Spring Equinox)

Constitution:Most herbalists agree that this herb has a dry constitution, however there is some disagreement about whether this herb is hot and dry or cold and dry. I’m inclined to think that it is cold and dry, based both on its association with Venus and on its medicinal properties.

Actions and Indications: This herb has quite a wide range of therapeutic actions and uses, including the following:

Kidneys & Urinary System – The plant can be used in the treatment of bladder infections, acting as a gentle diuretic and healing and toning the organ. It can also be used to treat cystitis, bladder carcinoma and renal inflammation, as well as kidney disease, and can be used to treat urinary sand and stones, and haematuria, as it is a dissolvent diuretic.

Respiratory System – This herb has a wide variety of uses for the respiratory tract, including in the treatment of coughs and colds, sinusitis, catarrh, asthma, bronchitis, nervous coughs, pertussis and tuberculosis. I’ve got a bit of a theory about this – I think that if a person is unable to release their emotions properly, in particular grief, this becomes trapped in the respiratory tract and manifests as illness, specifically as phlegm producing illness.

Digestive System – I’ve used this herb to treat gastritis and acid indigestion as well as peptic ulceration, and to treat diarrhoea and dry up mucous secretions. It can also be used as part of a prescription to treat dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulcers, obstructive jaundice, IBS and haemorrhoids.

Topical applications – Topically, the herb can be used to treat nose and ear infections, and as a lotion or wash to treat lice, abscesses, itchy skin and eczema. The infused oil can be used to treat ear infections.

Miscellaneous Other – The herb also has a reputation as a useful nervine, particularly in the treatment of tension headaches.

Spiritual and Energetic Uses: Ground Ivy, being associated with the spring festival of Ostara, can be used to make a ritual wine to be used at this time. It can also be used in incense form to honour the Spring Goddess. An incense of the plant can be used for divination, as well as to find out if anyone is using magic against you.

Some authors feel that the herb is used to treat sinusitis, in particular when this affects tense people who find it hard to express emotions and are unable or unwilling to cry. This could perhaps be taken as a possible energetic use of this herb, as I have been unable to find a great deal of information on energetic uses of this plant.

I think that this herb could be used for calm courage and steadfastness, and the ability to work towards goals steadily. I do not have any references to back this up, however this is the impression I get from the herb. I think it could also bring emotions back into balance, as an extension of the calmness – this would tie quite neatly into the earlier comment about tense people as this would allow them to gently release their emotions in order to bring their emotional selves back into balance. I would be interested to compare this to the energetic actions of Bupleurum, which has a reputation for unearthing emotions and digging deeply and intensely to release them – an action that I personally find to be too strong in most cases. It could be interesting to see if Ground Ivy does the same thing on a more gentle level. This would be quite logical, particularly if the legend of Persephone emerging from the Underworld in the Spring was taken into account – the emergence of emotions from a level buried deep inside the person into the daylight would fit, as would the journey from darkness into light. I feel that repressed emotions play a larger part in a person’s overall health than many health practitioners realise or admit – and think I may do some further work with this plant to see if my theories are correct as, if they are, this could prove a useful tool in the dispensary.

Folklore: There isn’t a great deal of folklore surrounding this plant, however what is known is that the plant was widely used by the Saxons instead of Hops in the production of ale, hence the name alehoof. Mrs Grieve is of the opinion that this was because it improved the flavour and keeping qualities of the beer and also because it made the final drink clearer.

It also has a long reputation as an excellent tisane herb, where a tea is made from the herb which is then sweetened with honey, sugar or liquorice and allowed to cool, which is then drunk in wineglass doses, three or four times a day. It was often sold on the streets in Elizabethan England under the name ‘Gill Tea’. It was used in this era as a blood purifier. Interestingly, ‘Gill Tea’ was the name of the extremely bitter drink made by boiling together Ground Ivy and young Nettle shoots and drinking it for 9 consecutive days in the spring. This remedy was used to clear up skin complaints as well as in the form of a spring tonic. Rather them than me, personally – this really does not sound very appealing, although it does seem to be on a par with our Dandelion and Burdock, another traditional spring tonic.

Dose: The dosage for ground ivy is 2-4g dried herb or equivalent liquid extract three times per day.

Contraindications: Do not use in excessively dry conditions – Ground Ivy can be very drying and would not suit people with an overly hot, dry disposition.

Brought to you by Alex English at http://www.eldrumherbs.co.uk