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If you’re looking for Creeping Charlie look-alikes to grow in your garden and home – this list contains the best!
Welcome to the world of Creeping Charlie Look-Alikes and the surprising reasons they’re often mistaken for this common ground cover!
What does Creeping Charlie look like?
Creeping Charlie belongs to the mint family and is characterized by its square stems. The leaves are kidney-shaped and have serrated edges with a velvety texture. The flowers are tubular and purple in color, with small clusters of flowers at the ends of the stem.
Some gardeners love Creeping Charlie for its bright green leaves and ability to obscure shady spots, but others consider it an annoying weed that gets in the way of what they want. Once established, it’s hard to get rid of, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it.
Note: Please note that this is not Glechoma hederacea, but Pilea nummulariifolia.
Creeping Charlie Look-Alikes
1. Creeping Jenny
Botanical Name: Lysimachia nummularia
Creeping Jenny has cup-like yellow flowers and small, round leaves. It has a creeping habit similar to Creeping Charlie, too.
2. Bugleweed
Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans
Bugleweed has longer and narrower leaves than Creeping Charlie’s rounded leaves. It grows in thick mats, like Creeping Charlie, but in a more vertical fashion.
3. Speedwell
Botanical Name: Veronica spp.
Its leaves are usually serrated but tend to grow more upright than Creeping Charlie plants, so they don’t spread as much.
4. Swedish Ivy
Botanical Name: Plectranthus verticillatus
Swedish Ivy has rounded, slightly scalloped leaves, similar to Creeping Charlie. However, they are typically larger and have a more pronounced scalloped edge.
5. Baby Tears
Botanical Name: Soleirolia soleirolii
Its leaves are round and delicate, resembling those of Creeping Charlie in shape and size. However, they are more delicate, small, and are less textured.
6. Wire Vine
Botanical Name: Muehlenbeckia complexa
Wire Vine leaves are small, round, and slightly glossy, akin to Creeping Charlie. They have a more wiry appearance due to their thin stems.
7. Trailing Jade
Botanical Name: Peperomia rotundifolia
Trailing Jade‘s leaves are small and succulent-like, unlike Creeping Charlie’s rounded leaves. They are thicker and more fleshy.
8. Dichondra Silver Falls
Botanical Name: Dichondra argentea
Its leaves are small and slightly heart-shaped, resembling Creeping Charlie’s in shape but with a more silvery sheen.
Tips for Identification, Differences, and Characteristics
Always search for the plant with its botanical name – Pilea nummulariifolia. Recognizing this plant is essential for gardeners and plant enthusiasts.
1. Leaf shape and appearance
Special features: The leaves are round, slightly serrated and have a bright, shiny green appearance.
Texture: They often feel soft.
2. Growth patterns
Creeping Growth: True to its name, Creeping Charlie has a trailing or creeping habit.
Versatility: It can grow as a ground cover or in hanging baskets where the vines are more prominent.
