Consider-the-Lilies Web Gallery
Gill-over-the-Ground
Gill-over-the-ground is an another immigrant to North America from Great Britain, where it has been used in herbal medicine for centuries.
It also served as a flavoring and preservative for beer in England until the introduction of hops in the 16th century.
Sometimes though the common name of plants seem to originate from a mispronunciation of the original name by someone not fluent in that language. (Another example is Shaggy Soldier)
One citation traces the name of Gill-over-the-ground to the French word, gillaue, "to ferment."
Dubbed "Ground Ivy" and "Creeping Charlie" in some parts of the
United States, it is a low-growing ground cover. It spreads by
starting roots at the nodes of its trailing, square-shaped stems;
each node becomes a separate plant.
Although it is considered moderately invasive, its growth habit does not choke out other lilies that would share the same habitat: partial shade and relatively damp areas.
I often find it growing in the shady edges of wooded areas along with Chickweed and Speedwell. (See above.)
Although Glechoma hederacea is a member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family, I think this lily could be a miniature orchid, it is so beautiful.
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Go back to the Main Directory to consider more lilies of the field.