Creeping Charlie. Can it replace grass as a lawn?

[poconojoe]

What is this? Is it Creeping Myrtle? Periwinkle?

It spreads with runners and gets tiny violet flowers.

We have it spreading on one end of the pond.

I've taken pieces of it and planted them around the rock wall of the bog. They grew, but didn't seem over invasive.

 

[brokensword]

What is this? Is it Creeping Myrtle? Periwinkle?

It spreads with runners and gets tiny violet flowers.

We have it spreading on one end of the pond.

I've taken pieces of it and planted them around the rock wall of the bog. They grew, but didn't seem over invasive.
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I've always called it myrtle, but maybe erroneously. Around here, it can get dense, does have the small purple flowers in the spring, is good against weeds, grows where grass doesn't, is pretty tough, almost as much as ivy. Grows very well in the shade, hence why I suggest it (mainly because it also has some color to it as opposed to ivy). Btw, I have both that variety and the variegated kind.

And if you 'trim' the tops off as they stick up, it'll grow more aggressively sideways, as most plants will, and fill in quicker.

 

[poconojoe]

I've always called it myrtle, but maybe erroneously. Around here, it can get dense, does have the small purple flowers in the spring, is good against weeds, grows where grass doesn't, is pretty tough, almost as much as ivy. Grows very well in the shade, hence why I suggest it (mainly because it also has some color to it as opposed to ivy). Btw, I have both that variety and the variegated kind.

And if you 'trim' the tops off as they stick up, it'll grow more aggressively sideways, as most plants will, and fill in quicker.

Ok, I'll transplant a bunch of it to the bare area in the front yard come Springtime.

Do you think I should try only Myrtle or also add ground ivy? Can I mix both or should I just try the myrtle? Or, would the ivy be better alone? Will one choke out the other? What would you do?

The spot is sunny in the Spring until the trees fill out with leaves, then it becomes dense shade.

 

[brokensword]

Ok, I'll transplant a bunch of it to the bare area in the front yard come Springtime.

Do you think I should try only Myrtle or also add ground ivy? Can I mix both or should I just try the myrtle? Or, would the ivy be better alone? Will one choke out the other? What would you do?

The spot is sunny in the Spring until the trees fill out with leaves, then it becomes dense shade.

I'd either pick one or make 'patches', like you planned a garden scenario complete with landscape rocks/driftwood, etc, but I'd not mix because I believe the ivy will eventually wipe the myrtle out; both are pretty hardy but the ivy is woody so it is 'stronger' per se. And ivy does better in the darker shade than myrtle but it too will be fine. I like the myrtle because of the flowers in the spring (sometimes, they rebloom in early fall, too). Do a 'garden' aspect at first and see if it's something you like otherwise, if you spread it all around and you're not happy, it'll be a lot more work to get rid of it and replace it with something else. Once you're sure, go for it. And take before and during and after pics; it'll be interesting (for us AND you!)

The ivy will also climb, so bear that in mind. If you don't want it to, just keep it trimmed off the trees. And I say this because it can choke a tree over time if you let it run wild vertically.

 

[poconojoe]

I'd either pick one or make 'patches', like you planned a garden scenario complete with landscape rocks/driftwood, etc, but I'd not mix because I believe the ivy will eventually wipe the myrtle out; both are pretty hardy but the ivy is woody so it is 'stronger' per se. And ivy does better in the darker shade than myrtle but it too will be fine. I like the myrtle because of the flowers in the spring (sometimes, they rebloom in early fall, too). Do a 'garden' aspect at first and see if it's something you like otherwise, if you spread it all around and you're not happy, it'll be a lot more work to get rid of it and replace it with something else. Once you're sure, go for it. And take before and during and after pics; it'll be interesting (for us AND you!)

The ivy will also climb, so bear that in mind. If you don't want it to, just keep it trimmed off the trees. And I say this because it can choke a tree over time if you let it run wild vertically.

Thanks!
I'll start researching where to get ground ivy.

Now if Spring would come...

 

[brokensword]

Thanks!
I'll start researching where to get ground ivy.

Now if Spring would come...

around here, in the spring especially, you can get flats of either ivy or myrtle; it's a popular landscaper garden condiment...

 

[j.w]

Not to be a party pooping queen or anything but rats love Ivy too, it will provide nice areas to nest and raise children. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20030212&slug=gardenplanttalk12

 

[brokensword]

Not to be a party pooping queen or anything but rats love Ivy too, it will provide nice areas to nest and raise children. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20030212&slug=gardenplanttalk12
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thing is, j.w, in all my 40+ years, never seen rats in ivy. It tends to grow low, but I could see burrowing, for sure, just never seen it. Then again, I'm in suburbia and rats aren't a problem here that I know of. Most ivy can also be 'mowed' and that too will keep it pretty low...have you seen rats infesting ivy?

 

[j.w]

Yes around here out in the sticks anyways you don't plant Ivy unless you enjoy the company of rats or just buy a herd of rat terriers! I don't have ivy so don't see them but oh yes they love the ivy so I've heard.

 

[poconojoe]

Not to be a party pooping queen or anything but rats love Ivy too, it will provide nice areas to nest and raise children. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20030212&slug=gardenplanttalk12
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Yikes! Rats!
No rats here.
Plenty of other wildlife though.

 

[SarahT]

It's a dense shade area. Would pachysandra grow in dense shade?
Just wondering why not Charlie? Too invasive?

I've had many dense shade yards in the north (Chicago and Baltimore) and been happy with pachysandra, and with myrtle. For me, pachysandra was faster to spread and better at crowding out weeds. (Alas, pachysandra doesn't grow this far south, in Tampa, and I could use a nice ground cover.)

 

[j.w]

@poconojoe Rats are everywhere sooner or later but guess there are certain smells they don't approve of : https://kidadl.com/fun-facts/what-smells-do-rats-dislike-here-s-how-you-can-repel-rats

 

[brokensword]

@poconojoe Rats are everywhere sooner or later but guess there are certain smells they don't approve of : https://kidadl.com/fun-facts/what-smells-do-rats-dislike-here-s-how-you-can-repel-rats

just out of curiosity, do you see rats routinely in your neck of the woods, j.w? I always sort of figured they were more an inner city type varmint. Seriously, in all my 6 decades of life, I've never seen a wild rat.

 

[addy1]

Seriously, in all my 6 decades of life, I've never seen a wild rat.

In our Florida rental, we had a food hoarder, she went into the hospital then a care center for about a month, she passed.

The rats moved in and had a party a big party! They chewed up the refrigerator, the metal food cans, the cabinets, left presents behind the dry wall everywhere. We had to tear out and removed all the cabinets, the dry wall etc to get rid of the debris and the horrible smell. Hired a rat remover, took 3 months to get them out. One ran across my shoe when we went down after she passed.

The smell was horrible, police were called saying someone died in the house (before we even knew there was a issue) We hired a company to go in and remove all the rotted food which was everywhere! The house is no longer a rental, we just let it sit unless we go down, hubbies son has been using it a bunch. He has become a frequent flyer to FL from MD.

 

[Lisak1]

Pachysandra grows great here in zone 5B in the shade, in the sun... just about anywhere. It kind of got a bad rap for a while there - everyone had it and loved it and then suddenly no one wanted it. But I see it coming back at the nurseries again. Everything old is new again!