Kristine Brown, RH (AHG), www.herbalrootszine.com
From the Jul/Aug '18 Essential Herbal Magazine
Ground Ivy is commonly known by many names
including Gill-over-the-ground, Gill-over-the-hill, Lizzy-run-up-the-Hedge,
Gill-go-by-the-Hedge, Robin-run-in-the-Hedge,creeping Charlie, catsfoot, cat’s
paw, turnhoof and alehoofe. This plant is not related to Ivy but is, instead,
in the Mint family. Many of his names imply his growing habit of being a ground
cover while others such as ‘paw’ and ‘hoof’ describe the shape of his leaves.
Ground Ivy was historically used in beer brewing, hence the name ‘ale.’
Do you have Ground Ivy growing in your backyard?
If so, grab a sprig to try out this experiment. Take a leaf and chew on it.
Observe what you taste. Does it seem bitter or sweet? Spicy or pungent? Does
your mouth salivate or dry up? How does your mouth feel, does the leaf warm it
up or cool it off? Most people describe Ground Ivy as bitter, pungent, drying
and cooling.
Nutritionally, Ground Ivy contains vitamin C,
copper, iodine, iron, phosphorus and potassium. He also contains triterpenoids,
sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, resin, saponin, tannins, the volatile oil pulegone
and a bitter principle known as glechomine.
Medicinally, Ground Ivy is said to be analgesic,
anthelmintic, antiatheromatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic,
antiviral, astringent, diuretic, expectorant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic,
hypotensive, mucostatic, urinary tonic, and vulnerary.
Let’s take a look at what Ground Ivy is used
for…
Ground Ivy is probably most recognized for his
usefulness in being able to remove heavy metals such as lead, mercury and
aluminum from the body due to his high levels of vitamin C which bind with the
soft, heavy metals. Matthew Wood also surmises that Ground Ivy may be useful
for doing the same with petrochemical pollutants as well. Ground Ivy has a long
history of being used for chelation and is listed in various historical herbals
for treating ‘painters colic’ or ‘lead colic’ as lead poisoning was known by.
As a hepatoprotective herb, Ground Ivy protects the liver from these heavy
metals by binding with them so they can be filtered and removed from the body
through the kidneys.
I became familiar with Ground Ivy after I
learned he can help with the inner ear issue known as tinnitus which symptoms
include humming or ringing in the ear and loss of hearing. Ground Ivy is also
used for those suffering from ‘glue ear,’ medically known as otitis media with
effusion, a condition that occurs when the Eustachian tubes fill with fluid in
the middle ear, often at the beginning stage of chronic respiratory congestion
or with a head cold.
For the respiratory system, Ground Ivy is great
for congestion, especially when you have a hot, wet cough as Ground Ivy cools
and dries. Other coughs most likely will not benefit from Ground Ivy. Ground
Ivy works for both acute respiratory infections as well as chronic respiratory
infections, especially when the middle ears are congested, including ailments
such as sinusitis and bronchitis. Ground Ivy can also help to soothe a sore
throat and makes an all around great remedy for all things cold virus related.
As well as working on respiratory issues, Ground
Ivy can be helpful for eye issues such as conjunctivitis, acute redness,
itchiness, soreness, tiredness, and pain in the eyes. A tea made of Ground Ivy
with a pinch of sea salt added makes a soothing eye wash.
Ground Ivy can be helpful for urinary problems
as well. As a urinary tonic, Ground Ivy tones the urinary system, and may be
helpful for those suffering from gout. As a diuretic,
Ground Ivy gets the urinary tract back on track
and can be used as a tea for cystitis, urinary inflammation and urinary tract
infections. Kidney issues may find relief with Ground Ivy as well, from kidney
stones to infections.
Ground Ivy is said to help stimulate the bile
flow in the gallbladder and liver, and may alleviate jaundice, helping to
increase the flow of bile when it seems to be ‘stuck.’ Ground Ivy is also
helpful for a congested spleen and lymph.
As a stomachic, Ground Ivy is soothing for
intestinal issues such as colic, intestinal cramping, and gas. Because of his
astringent nature, Ground Ivy can be helpful for relieving diarrhea.
Topically, Ground Ivy can be applied to hot,
itchy skin conditions for gentle relief, as well as cuts and scratches since he
is a vulnerary and antiseptic. His traditional use for arthritis and rheumatism
suggest that topical applications may be helpful for these conditions as
well.
Ground Ivy can also be helpful for sciatica
pain, I would use a poultice directly over the affected area along with a tea
or extract internally. Dioscorides used Ground Ivy as a “remedy against
sciatica or ache in the hucklebone.” Adele Dawson states that she finds that
Ground Ivy is not helpful for sporadic, acute cases of sciatica and surmises
that Ground Ivy would best be used for chronic cases.
I am curious to try Ground Ivy more in
conditions of the heart as research has shown Ground Ivy to be antiatheromatic,
hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory as well as hypoglycemic due to his
triterpenoids oleanolic and ursolic acid.
There are no known contraindications, side
effects or adverse effects with drug interactions. It is possibly safe for
pregnant and lactating women though no studies have been done.
Ground Ivy Extract
This extract can be used for respiratory
infections, tinnitus, and heavy metal toxicity, as well as urinary, digestive
and bile issues.
Fresh Ground Ivy
Grain alcohol
Water
Fill your jar halfway with chopped Ground Ivy.
Add grain alcohol halfway then add water to fill the jar.
Let steep for 4 weeks before using, shaking
daily. You may wish to strain off the Ground Ivy at the end of the 4 week
period.
Dosage for adults: 30 drops 4-5 times daily.
Double for chelation
Children 2-6 - 10 drops; Children 7-12 - 20
drops 4-5 times daily.
Ground Ivy Tea
This tea is used for helping with chelation,
tinnitus, and respiratory, urinary, digestive and bile issues. For tinnitus, it
may be slow to work; expect results to take 30-90 days to be effective. This
tea is also great as an eye wash for eye complaints.
1 T dried Ground Ivy
10 oz boiling water
Steep Ground Ivy in boiling water for 15-20
minutes.
Dosage for adults: 2-4 cups daily.
For children 2-6, 1/2-1 cup daily; 6-12 should
drink 1-2 cups daily.
Ground Ivy Vinegar
Ground Ivy vinegar is great for getting a daily
dose of Ground Ivy’s minerals. Use it on salads, a tablespoon in a cup of water
before a meal to aid digestion. This can also be applied topically to help with
hot, itchy skin conditions.
Fresh Ground Ivy
Apple cider vinegar
Fill your jar with chopped up Ground Ivy then
pour the Apple cider vinegar over the shoots to fill the jar. Cover with a lid.
Label and shake daily for 2 weeks.
Dyeing with Ground Ivy
Ground Ivy gives a rich palette of greens when
using it as a dye. This is a perfect way to use a bunch of Ground Ivy from your
yard if he is taking over! You can experiment in getting different shades by
using different mordants.
Fresh Ground Ivy
Knife
Cutting board
A large stock pot
Water
13 oz. Alum
7 oz. Cream of tartar
Tongs
Natural dye fabric (cotton, wool, silk, linen
are all good - they will dye slightly differently in color)
Rusty nails*
Baking soda*
Section of copper piping or other copper
material (if using pennies, make sure they are pure copper pennies made prior
to 1982)*
*Optional items to test out different shades -
If you want to experiment with the optional colors, place the rusty nails (or
other iron objects) into a jar and cover with rain water.
Do the same for the copper piping in a separate
jar. Be sure to label both jars so you know which is which.
Let soak for several days until the water turns
a deep rust color.*
To begin, add 1 gallon water., alum and cream of
tartar to the stock pot and stir to dissolve. Bring the water to a boil then
turn off. Have a big person help you with this step if you are not used to
using a stove.
Add the dye materials, stirring to soak and let
steep until cool. Strain off the water and set aside the dye materials. You can
also begin this at the same time as the next step to save time (in separate
pots).
Chop up enough Ground Ivy to fill your stock pot
loosely with the plant material.
Cover the Ground Ivy with water and place on the
stove. Bring the pot to a boil then turn down to a simmer, simmering for 30
minutes to 1 hour.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool,
steeping for 6-8 hours. You may wish to start this step the evening before you
want to dye, allowing the mixture to cool overnight.
Strain off the plant material and compost. If
you are doing a dye bath of just this mixture, add your material to the pot and
return the liquid mixture to a simmer for 30 minutes. Let sit another 6 hours
before straining.
If you want to experiment with colors, split
your dye bath in to 2-4 sections, depending on which mordants you want to try
(copper, iron, baking soda, plain). Add about 1/4 cup of the mordants to each
dye bath, labeling the dye baths accordingly. Follow the instructions to dye
the materials.
Once the materials have soaked for 6 hours, use
the tongs to remove them and rinse them in cool water until the water runs
clear.
Hang to dry.
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| Creeping Charley gall of gall wasp, Liposthenes glechomae |
