Six common weeds each looks like creeping Charlie but aren't the same plant at all. The top creeping charlie look-alikes are henbit, purple dead nettle, common mallow, wild violet, heal-all, and creeping Jenny. You need to tell them apart before you treat because each weed needs a different approach from you.
I made this mistake myself a few springs ago. I spotted a low weed with purple flowers in my front lawn and sprayed it with a product meant for creeping Charlie. The spray did zero to it. Turns out it was henbit, which is a yearly weed that dies on its own by summer. I wasted my money and my Saturday treating a plant that would have gone away without any help from me.
My neighbor had the opposite problem last year. She thought the creeping Charlie in her yard was wild violet and left it alone for a full season. By fall it had spread across her entire side yard. She spent months fixing the damage because she used the wrong name for what was growing in her grass. These plants confused with creeping charlie cause real trouble when you get the ID wrong.
The fastest way to tell if you have the real thing is a simple three-step test you can do in your yard right now. First, roll the stem between your fingers. Creeping Charlie has square stems that you can feel as you roll them. Round stems mean you have something else. Second, crush a leaf and sniff it. You should smell a strong minty scent right away. Third, check the leaf shape. Look for kidney-shaped leaves with rounded teeth along the edges.
Henbit and Purple Dead Nettle
- Henbit clue: Upper leaves clasp around the stem and it dies each summer since it is an annual, not a perennial like creeping Charlie.
- Dead nettle clue: Leaves are pointed triangles with purple coloring on top instead of the round kidney shape you see on creeping Charlie.
- Both differences: These two grow upright to 6-10 inches tall while creeping Charlie stays flat against your ground.
Common Mallow and Wild Violet
- Mallow clue: Leaves have five lobes like a tiny hand and the stems are round, not square like creeping Charlie stems.
- Violet clue: Leaves are heart-shaped and the flowers are much bigger and showier than creeping Charlie's tiny blooms.
- Key test: Neither of these plants smell minty when you crush a leaf between your fingers.
Heal-All and Creeping Jenny
- Heal-all clue: It has square stems like creeping Charlie but grows upright spikes of purple flowers instead of spreading flat.
- Creeping Jenny clue: Round leaves and yellow flowers set it apart fast since creeping Charlie only makes purple or blue blooms.
- Growth pattern: Creeping Jenny stays lower and tighter than creeping Charlie and won't take over your lawn the same way.
Run all three tests before you spend money on any product. Square stems, minty smell, and kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges. If all three match, you have creeping Charlie for sure. If any test fails, you have one of its look-alikes and you need a different plan to deal with it.
Take a photo of your weed and bring it to your local extension office if you still aren't sure. They will ID it for free in most states. Getting the right name before you treat saves you time, money, and a lot of frustration trying to kill a weed with the wrong product on your shelf.
Read the full article: Creeping Charlie: Full Guide
