Wild edibles: Creeping Charlie

[@centereduniverse]

I love the song and how Creeping Charlie grew legs and a human body. Awesome vid!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thanks! And yes we like to give the plants with human like names a character lol.

[@lizhadley3803]

To me, the true weed in my lawn is GRASS. I would rather have edible and medicinal plants growing around my home than useless grass. After many years of not applying any herbicides as the previous owners did, we finally have a backyard that is primarily creeping Charlie, chickweed, dandelions, henbit, and plantain. Since most of these plants are low-growing, we only have to cut the grass about every 2 weeks.

[@SmallSeeds]

I completely agree! Our situation is very similar here as well. Free food & medicine definitely beats grass anyday!

[@tomwall2361]

LOVE THIS COMMENT

[@SmallSeeds]

@@tomwall2361 Me too! Still one of my favorites.

[@Bob-gn8ph]

I agree but grass is completely edible too but I would have to be in a survival situation to eat it LOL

[@sveltland]

Grass actually provides adundant oxygen, filters wind blown dust, and keeps area surrounded approx 10 degrees cooler. Edible gardens and grass to play on is the best!

[@MsGaella]

Adorable ending. Thank you. I have it all over my yard and I will go make tea!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you and glad to hear!!

[@euphoniahale5181]

Thanks. I put in creeping Charlie recipe. And most of what came up was how to kill. Glad I can use as a tea.

[@SmallSeeds]

So glad to hear this!

[@WhiskeyThree]

Well done, great I formation. Keep it going! I've been fighting creeping charlie for years in my yard . Didnt know I could just eat it!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! Glad you found this video! Most aren't too fond of the flavor but when mixed with other herbs it goes nicely in a tea.

[@belieftransformation]

Thanks for sharing! I introduced it from an empty lot to my yard & love how it fills in empty spots. I will try the tea now that you showed how to brew it!

[@jamesgaul3544]

Thanks for sharing. I was a professional photographer for twenty years, and I must say that you are a very beautiful young lady... whatever you're doing KEEP IT UP!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! And thanks for watching 😀

[@user-bo4cc2fl8j]

The music video at the end, just, the best! I don't tend to "subscribe" to channels very often, but darn, how could i not!!!

[@SmallSeeds]

Haha thank you!! Perhaps I should get back to making goofy songs for my videos. It’s been a while!

[@yvonnetatlock717]

Wow most the plants you have shown are available on my walk with my dog so close to my home. I can’t wait to make some oils etc.

[@nz1229]

Found some in the park today and noticed it is extremely fragrant and soothing to the senses. I have some headaches so like to breathe it in. Is the allergic reaction to it common or relatively rare? I guess I'll start out small.

[@SmallSeeds]

I believe that it is rare. Some people just end up having reactions to certain plants just like with other foods so I think it is best to start out small as you said. I also find the scent soothing and like to mix it with other herbs when making the tea. I also get headaches and a good amount of them are because of my sinuses so the Creeping Charlie is a good one for me. I hope you end up finding some great ways to use it!

[@watermelonlalala]

Very good video! No wasted time, good info.

[@heathersizemore2325]

How do I go about drying it for later use ?

[@SmallSeeds]

So if you can, try to find leaves that don't have dirt on them so you don't have to wash them before drying. If you prefer to give them a rinse that is fine just make sure to pat them with a cloth to remove excess water. I will usually put just leaves into a herb drying rack. Before I had one though I would just dry out herbs on paper plates and that worked pretty well for me. Simply lay out a single layer of the leaves on the plate and make sure they aren't overlapping each other much. You could also harvest the stems with the leaves still on them, tie them into a bunch and hang them to dry out. Then once you are ready to store them you pull of the dried leaves to be stored. The dried leaves should crumble easily and be somewhat crispy. Hope this helps!

[@shelbisikorski2509]

I see you’re using just the leaves for tea, but what about the purple flower? Can I steep the flowers as well? Or is there a reason to not use them for tea?

[@SmallSeeds]

For some time I was wondering this as well because most books and articles I have read only mention the leaves. Some sources say that you can eat the leaves, flowers and stems. I nibble on the flowers sometimes and have been considering using them for tea as well.

[@sewmuch2do]

yes you can use the flowers the same as the leaves

[@Vsor]

I love the smell of this plant. I just got into brewing, I'm going to try making an ale from it.

[@SmallSeeds]

Oh please let me know how it goes!! I am very interested to hear about it. Also, hey there! It’s nice to hear from you. I hope my corny little shoutout to you in my last violet video was ok. 😅 Hope all is well, friend!

[@Vsor]

@@SmallSeeds I have no idea how I missed that video, thanks for the shout-out!

[@richanddarksbane1439]

very educational

[@bjfishermusic]

Thank you for this video. I love the tune at the end!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you!! Haha I have been thinking about making some more silly songs lately.

[@daisyfryberger7746]

OMG! Love the song! So hilarious! ✋

[@SmallSeeds]

Thanks! Glad to hear!

[@robinadair8918]

Can’t the flowers be used in the tea?

[@Salem_Gracian]

I'm in zone 2b and it grows all over my area. I also cultivate it now for medicinal and herbal uses.

[@VirginiaFruitGrower]

Thanks for educating me on this wild edible. It's so amazing that you find so many edible plants just casually growing around your area. Good thing this wasn't called "Creepy Charlie" haha 🤣😂

[@SmallSeeds]

This is one of those plants that grows in a lot of places and people usually can’t stand it. To be honest I am always pulling it out of our garden beds but it’s nice to be able to use some of it!

[@aibell4800]

That’s funny - we call it creepy charlie all the time just being silly 😁

[@sajiktm]

If you put some creeping Charlie in the tea it is wonderful aroma and i have experience it produce lot of urine.... so i think it is good for the kidney.

[@SmallSeeds]

I really enjoy the scent as well. It was once used for kidney ailments and as a diuretic! Great observation.

[@sangun123]

woah lol i've been growing these randomly in my terrariums because they take so well in humidity and will cling to anything, i didn't know i can harvest it and eat it!

[@arlinnjeans1860]

Love this! Now just to convince my husband Charlie isn't just a weed!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! Hope the convincing goes well haha.

[@danarzechula3769]

Oooo where do I get one of those tea steepers?

[@phillip1beer]

I enjoyed your video. Is it the same plant as Creeping Jenny? I have gotten that impression. I have it growing in my yard and flowerbeds. I have always weeded it out. I have become interested in it because it grows well underwater in aquariums. I plan on digging some up this spring and summer and experimenting with growing it underwater. It eventually will grow to the surface and flower. I see from your video that there are many other uses for the plant.

[@SmallSeeds]

Creeping Jenny is a different plant with a similar growing habit. I can see how they could be confused because of how they look and the common name. Creeping Jenny does have some edible and traditional uses though! We have a lot of it growing here as well and I have considered putting it by our pond because of how well it grows in wet conditions. I would definitely look into the plants uses though. It’s one I’ve read about but haven’t utilized much yet.

[@SmallSeeds]

I just pulled up an article about creeping Jenny to send and see that it is also called creeping Charlie sometimes. Common plant names can be so confusing at times since some people call it one name and others another. Creeping Charlie in this videos is Glechoma Hederace and the other plant that I know as Creeping Jenny is Lysimachia nummularia. Here is that article lol: pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Lysimachia+nummularia

[@phillip1beer]

@@SmallSeeds Thank you for your answer. I had kind of come to the same conclusion as your answer by watching many videos. They do seem quite similar. My primary interest is in growing them underwater. I am building an aquarium and plant room in my basement to breed fish in a very close to natural environment. I am planning to build a Darter Stream that will be about 20 foot long. It will slope gradually upward with several little waterfalls that many of the fish will be able to ascend. It will have many types of seaweeds and aquatic plants. I will have terrestrial plants growing in it aquaponically and also soil planters along its banks. It will drain into bigger aquariums. It will have a therapeutic effect for me to sit and watch. I have Creeping Jenny or Charley growing in my yard and often have pulled it out of the flower beds as a weed. I look forward to experimenting with it this spring and summer. Thank you again for your reply.

[@1incutheta]

Well, you just HAVE to subscribe after that little song at the end! Ha ha.

[@MooseCall]

I'm planning a closed moss terrarium. Will Creeping Charlie work well in it?

[@SmallSeeds]

It may work but I can’t say for sure. I notice it does best in full sun so it may get leggy in low light conditions. My daughter started a closed moss terrarium that had chickweed seeds in it. The chickweed germinated and is still thriving after almost 8 months! It is a bit leggy but did pretty well. Creeping Charlie and chickweed are often found growing together or in similar places so perhaps it will do well like the chickweed did. I’d say it really depends on the amount of light the terrarium gets. I hope it works well for you if you decide to give it a try!

[@thepawanderer]

another great video

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you so much!

[@Bob-gn8ph]

Great job thank you for the video:-)

[@Butterflyneverlands]

LOL Great vídeo!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you!

[@gvndual84]

“Medicinal purposes” for what? What does it aid?

[@SmallSeeds]

02:56 is where I begin to explain this briefly

[@Lisa-cj6vx]

I didn't have any idea that you could eat Charlie! I will also try tea!

[@SmallSeeds]

The tea is definitely better when you blend it with other herbs. I personally enjoy it but a lot of people aren’t too fond. I hope you find some way to enjoy it 😊

[@TheLongjohntim]

This stuff has take over my yard. Now I know I can eat it. Now I'll take back my yard one bite at a time.

[@gobigrey9352]

I started feeding it to my chickens. Google told me to. Lol

[@karenbearden6198]

LOL, love your videos!

[@SmallSeeds]

Thank you! So happy to hear you are enjoying them!

[@vgaymer]

anyone know if the red fruit is edible(they kind of look like a miniature strawberry?

[@godrilla5549]

Can anybody help me out here, I have things that look like creeping Charlie's growing everywhere and I absolutely adore them but they aren't exactly Creeping Charlie. The leaves are the same but they grow like clovers, don't smell at all. I just keep watering them and they keep growing.

[@watermelonlalala]

I. have never noticed any minty smell on the CC in my yard. Going out to double check right now. It is all over the place.

[@watermelonlalala]

Oh, I tried it. Smells earthy. Not tasty. But the tea is nice enough. Made it weak. Price is right. Unless I get sick.

[@wisconsinfarmer4742]

Good to see the playful old man make an appearance.

[@SmallSeeds]

He had lots of fun with this video!

[@kathleennorton7913]

Thank you! Also, the words to the song please. My sound is just able to hear what is said, but not distinguish the words of the funny song. God bless!

[@SmallSeeds]

The song: Why are you creeping Charlie? You're growing all around. Why are you creeping Charlie? You've taken over the ground! You're edible, medicinal and make a decent tea. One day maybe they can see you're not just a weed!

[@susanpeternel1189]

Yup my horses nearly have died several times ! Unfortunately I sprayed

[@SmallSeeds]

I hope your horses are okay!

[@TheGohbomba]

Yummy

[@VirginiaFruitGrower]

Wait a minute... Charlie was creeping at 4:45!!

[@SmallSeeds]

Haha yes 😂

[@joannehoare9019]

your volume is too low could not turn it up enough to hear you

[@SmallSeeds]

This was one of my first videos and my camera at the time didn’t record the best audio. This was the loudest I could get it. Sorry for the inconvenience!

[@سهیل-ح9ض]

Sohel Rana Bangladesh 🇧🇩

[@nathaneadson2019]

You can eat all mints

[@سهیل-ح9ض]

Sohel Rana

[@v10d]

I got a whole yard full. Come eat your heart out.

[@SmallSeeds]

Haha I think I have a little too much over here already!

[@segavick756]

I smoke it for a high....

[@robertbrown8576]

That "cancer" of a plant has destroyed my land! If you wanna feed the planet...come and get it!

[@SmallSeeds]

Honestly, after years of gardening and trying to let it grow in certain places I feel you. 🤣 I made this video over 4 years ago and since then it has taken over some areas. Still nice to know it has some uses though!

[@rhoadsmatheson2246]

I hate this stuff.. it's everywhere. My goat doesn't even like it, not that I blame it. I've drank the "tea" when I was younger.. nasty.

[@SmallSeeds]

I really don't think it tastes that bad. That's probably because I am used to drinking different infusions for medicinal properties though. It definitely isn't something we drink for the flavor I will admit. A little bit of honey, lemon and other herbs mixed with it go a long way. I have noticed our chickens aren't too fond of it either but they do eat a small amount of it.

[@rhoadsmatheson2246]

@@SmallSeeds .. lol, yes I forget to mention my chickens don't eat it either.

[@AnnetteMunster]

I you mix it with peppermint and licorice root, it tastes amazing. :)