Creeping Charlie! Uses & Health Benefits of A Heroic (& Misunderstood!) Weed

[@trueword247]

Wow her voice is so peaceful and gentle.

[@theacadiangarden]

😊thank you!

[@mrgrogfather]

Heart felt knowledge shines through.❤

[@virginiabur2653]

In turning my backyard into a mini-food forest, I’ve discovered several medicinal / edible plants. Dandelion and Plantain have always been around, but I’m no longer treating them as weeds. I’ve also stopped trying to rid my garden of Creeping Charlie . I’ve recently found Wild Indigo and Garlic Mustard too! Can’t wait to start using all of these gifts in new ways.

[@theacadiangarden]

Oooh garlic mustard. That’s a good one I haven’t seen around me yet. That sounds wonderful, I hope you continue to discover more. :)

[@sheldonmurphy6031]

Every spring, I get excited to see Charlie come back. Over the years since I was a teen, I loved their smell as I mowed over them. Unfortunately, but fortunately, I was divorced in 2018. By 2020 I was finally able to have my own indoor and outdoor gardens. 😁 I absolutely love growing Charlie indoors. Not only are they the easiest house plant ever (once they get established after potting them) but they smell great, and give the house a constant outdoor garden smell! Thank You for sharing the health benefits. That's really cool Ma'am! 😁

[@SusanMilich]

Love your video! So much information. I’m still not keen on Creeping Charlie’s effect in my lawn, but I’ll be harvesting generous portions to use fresh and dried in tea.

[@granitemoss1451]

We like to use it for tea when we've got a cough or cold. I dry it for use in the winter so we always have it on hand.

[@mycozygardencottage]

Wow! Thank you so much!! ❤ I have creeping Charlie everywhere around my yard and I have slow lymph drainage that gets painful sometimes. Now I have a reason to love that otherwise annoying plant. 😂 It's true! A weed is just a plant that you have not yet discovered the value of. 😊

[@theacadiangarden]

That’s wonderful, thanks for sharing. 😊

[@snowman4821]

I'm so thankful for this video! I have recently moved states and started seeing about purple dead nettle and thought for sure I spotted a large grove of them under some blooming trees. I used Google lense to search just to be sure, but the results came up as creeping Charlie. And, yep, all of the results were asking how to get rid of it! I'm stoked that it is edible and has so many wonderful properties. I'm going to see if the neighbors know if the area ever gets sprayed or treated with anything and ask if it's on their property before I harvest any. I hope they don't mind if I occasionally take some home!

[@kimberlyeisenmann8036]

We have tons of this throughout our lawn! I love it and now I can't wait to pull some and make some tea!

[@darylanncrosby]

Great information, well presented - thank you!

[@mrgrogfather]

My Creeping Charlie is called Traveling Charlie, because it travels! I LOVE IT! It makes up a large part of our land with a path winding through it. The path needs less maintenance than lawn did! For me, it also acts as a barrier for water run off from upper land. Great for salads, with a drop of Balsamic Vinegar. Great vid.

[@theacadiangarden]

Just another reason it’s such a wonderful plant! I look forward to seeing the purple blooms this spring. Thank you for sharing :)

[@jjfminn7773]

Like 30 years ago my grandma was complaining about her creeping Charlie, I said grama, it makes your yard look way better with beautiful purple in it. Pretty awesome that it's medicinal, I'll be picking some of my mom's this weekend. Great video❤

[@theacadiangarden]

A weed is a plant where someone doesn’t want it. It’s nice to think that we can reframe our thinking to appreciate such a beautiful ground cover! Thank you for sharing :)

[@meowcow1332]

Thanks so much for the video, the most in depth video about this plant i've found... I built a garden last year where now my chickens are roaming and they managed to leave this plant in abundance. There are so many purple flowers out right now and little honey bees all over them, they almost look like they glow violet in the early mornings. I'm glad to know it has some uses!

[@theacadiangarden]

I love the “ultra” violet look they have in the morning’s too. Spectacular. Thank you for sharing 😊

[@lynnsbomb]

Thank you. Awesome info and video. Glad I stumbled upon your account. Subscribed. Thx again.

[@lifeisgood7719]

First time viewer, Thank you for the information. I love how you present it. Great work!

[@theacadiangarden]

Thanks for watching! 💚

[@Meditative3ASMR]

Thank you for sharing!! Do you have the link for the video were you explain the different between the three: creeping Charlie, purple dead nettle, and henbit?

[@theacadiangarden]

I don’t have one yet, I used to have henbit growing around my garden but unfortunately it hasn’t reappeared. Sorry 😞 If it doesn’t show up I may introduce some.

[@BiancaAnne]

I just found this plant growing every where and was wondering if it was edible. So grateful for your knowledge on these edible weeds. Thank you and God bless you for sharing the information with the rest of us! Can you tell me more about tinctures on how to make one about wilted plants? Isnt there still water content in it so would it still be subject to spoil faster? Just curious about that and getting started in making my own. I thought the herbs always have to be completely dried? Thank you! 🙏

[@theacadiangarden]

I used to feel the same when I started and would only tincture dried herbs. The reality is that wilted herbs are generally safe if you use a 90 proof alcohol or higher to process it. The lowest water content safe for preserving tinctures is 40% (80 proof). If tincturing fresh herbs, the higher the water content the higher the proof for safe preserving. I don’t have any way to measure the water content so I usually just make sure to use 90 proof or higher, and have not run into any issues with spoilage. God bless you as well and welcome to our community. 💚🌱

[@BiancaAnne]

Thank you so much for the information! Do you have a recommendation for what brand of alcohol in particular for tinctures or just buy which ever vodka is on special?

[@theacadiangarden]

@@BiancaAnne I’m personally not picky, so anything on sale I buy. I always get weird looks coming up to the counter with 3 gallons of hard liquor though, haha. I ended up making a shirt that says “It’s okay, I’m an herbalist.” 😂💚

[@BiancaAnne]

@@theacadiangarden haha awesome thank you 🙏🏻 I never step into a liquor store except for now I’ll be going in for the same reason and probably get the same looks 👀

[@prachivetdoc]

Thank you so much for the indepth information!!

[@theacadiangarden]

You’re welcome! Enjoy your chutney!

[@erniescabin4256]

Lots of charlie around here never thought to look it up another plant to try i'm glad i ran into your channel looking forward to spending this summer with you well i mean your channel lol take care have a great day😊💕🌱

[@saffron1996]

i always like the little purple flowers, and wondered what it was! thank you

[@theacadiangarden]

Certainly!

[@tristinchristenson6349]

How did you obtain the majority of your plants ike creeping charlie?

[@theacadiangarden]

Most of the plants I have discussed thus far (mullein, raspberry, dandelion, and creeping Charlie) all occur naturally on my property of about 7 acres. I recently went on a hike near Augusta Maine and found the same plants naturally occurring along the trail system, especially in sunny spots. Very, very common here! I am starting to grow some of these in my garden because I don’t want to rely solely on what I can forage.

[@bloomsandthreads8519]

Great informative video. Thank you.

[@dandtb6860]

Very handy information. Thanks

[@Salem_Gracian]

Me using it as a border to my raised beds and as an herbal addition to salads 😂 If it's not poisonous it's on the menu!

[@miharleybabe1206]

I have some in my yard and when it is crushed it gives me a headache. Can using it a tincture help me?

[@theacadiangarden]

It does have a strong smell, my husband notices it when he mows. If it is giving you a headache it would be safer to try as a tea and see how you respond to it. For example, feverfew, another medicinal plant is widely used for headaches but I find the aroma and tea make my headaches worse, so some herbs do affect people differently.

[@gjcinqmars]

Thank you for these videos, very helpful.

[@theacadiangarden]

Certainly 😊

[@larrya7822]

When I dry my Creeping Charlie for storage what benefits am I loosing ?

[@theacadiangarden]

If you dry out of sunlight at less than 110 degrees, most of the benefits will be preserved. If stored properly you can get benefits from the dried herb for at least a year, though it does slowly degrade over time.

[@gjcinqmars]

I have put Creeping Charlie in pots and baskets as the “ spiller”. I read it was allopathic so I will put it in hanging baskets by itself.

[@angierebrook7333]

How do you know if a tincture spoils?

[@theacadiangarden]

A properly prepared alcohol tincture never expires, but in general if your once clear tincture becomes cloudy, if there is a film forming on top of the liquid or the bottle becomes pressurized (a strong poof of air comes out of the bottle when you open it) these are signs that there is biological activity in the menstruum. Different tinctures or infusions have different shelf lives, you can check out my video here for a breakdown of ways to preserve herbs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYGvhoqibtaaZs0si=EBqKu1F2UDGb9z58

[@TJ-um8ce]

Can you do virginia buttonweed?? All the info I can find is about getting rid of it... but I know for a fact that I've seen forums mention benefits of buttonweed, but that was before I "woke-up" and became a granola😂... I'm never going back!

[@theacadiangarden]

Hmmm, I’ve never encountered button weed in my area before. I’d be hesitant to confirm if it’s medicinal based on the common names, as there may be various species called button weed. I did a brief search and have not found any articles or herbalism books of mine that speak on its medicinal uses. (That’s not to say that it isn’t out there, I just haven’t come across it.). Sorry!

[@MelanieMontgomery-c6i]

My creeping charlie doesn't flower. Now I'm starting to wonder if it really is creeping charlie. Hmmm!

[@theacadiangarden]

Maybe pennywort?

[@infinitelyblessed359]

Couldnt you cover the bottle with a dark paper cardstock?

[@theacadiangarden]

Yes that would work as well for keeping out UV rays as long as it is thick enough.

[@getbusy4399]

👋🏾 Hi ❤

[@Rainygirl9058]

What are the green pods that grow on it?

[@Rainygirl9058]

What are the green pods that grow on them?

[@theacadiangarden]

You may be thinking of a different plant like vetch? Creeping charlie does not grow green pods. In my video I did place a sprig of creeping charlie in a white bowl next to a couple of underdeveloped dandelion flower heads. Maybe that was what you were referring to?