Glechoma is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the mint family, and is native to much of Europe and Asia. The stems root at the nodes, often forming extensive mats ot coarsely toothed, rounded or broadly oval, soft hairy leaves. The ascending shoots bear pairs of small, tubular, 2-lipped flowers in the leaf axils in summer. The genus is closely related to the genera Nepeta, Stachys and Prunella.Selected species:

• Glechoma biondiana (Diels) C.Y.Wu & C.Chen
• Glechoma decolorans (Hemsl.) Turrill
• Glechoma grandis (A. Gray) Kuprianova
• Glechoma hederacea L. - ground-ivy or creeping charlie
• Glechoma hirsuta Waldst. & Kit.
• Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kuprian.
• Glechoma nivalis (Benth.) Press
• Glechoma pharica (Prain) Turrill
• Glechoma serbica Halácsy & Wettst.
• Glechoma sinograndis C.Y.Wu

Cultivation

They prefer full sun or part-shade and moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Propagate from cuttings in late spring or by division in spring or autumn. They make good carpeting groundcovers, but can be very invasive and should be kept away from heavily planted beds. They are quite suitable for containers and hanging baskets.

Glechoma species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora albitarsella.

External links

• Flora Europaea: Glechoma
• Flora of China: Glechoma