Hello, I’m Canda Diacono, a qualified medical herbalist, registered with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and practicing from the Essential Therapies Studio in Sidmouth. 

Every month in my new column, I’ll be focusing a herb that is thriving in and around our town at that moment.

I’ll include plants we’re used to thinking of as annoying weeds, beautiful trees that are part of Sidmouth’s arboretum, and everything in between.

I’ll share how they've been historically used in folk medicine, talk about how they are used in herbal medicine today, and what research tells us about their constituents.

There will also be the occasional recipe where it can be safely used at home for minor conditions.

This month’s herb is ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea).

Sidmouth Herald: Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea).Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea). (Image: Canda Diacono)

It has kidney-shaped, scallop-edged leaves, that are often tinged purple, and pretty violet flowers that usually first appear in April, are at their best in May and continue throughout summer and autumn. 

A fairly vigorous, evergreen perennial, ground ivy is a member of the mint family and its smell, when crushed, sits somewhere between cat’s pee and mint.

If you find some, squash a little bit of leaf between your finger and thumb and breath the scent in: with a deep inhalation, you can really feel how the volatile oils clear and open the lungs, and this tells you something about how this plant is used.

Historically, a tea made of ground ivy was drunk to ease longstanding coughs and tuberculosis.

Known as Gill Tea, this was made by infusing the herb in just-boiled water, before being sweetened with honey, liquorice or sugar and drunk when cool.

The leaves’ volatile oils are also bitter, acting as a tonic for the digestive system.

Interestingly, ‘Gill' comes from the French ‘guiller' meaning 'to ferment beer' and this gives another clue to its historical use.

Before the introduction of hops, ground ivy’s volatile oils helped to clarify, flavour and improve the keeping qualities of beer, hence its other colloquial names of alehoof and tunhoof.

Seventeenth century herbalist Nicolas Culpeper also prescribed ground ivy decocted (extracted by simmering gently) in wine to treat sciatica and pain in the huckle-bone (hip joint), the latter possibly referring to gout of the hip.

Ground ivy's medicinal use is not just historic: it is still used in prescriptions for asthma and bronchitis, and also where there is inflammation of the digestive system.

Recent research confirms, amongst other things, ground ivy’s potent anti-inflammatory effects, as well as it having an inhibitory effect on Epstein-Barr virus.

A pretty and common plant, you’ll find ground ivy in sunny hedgerows, where it grows in clumps that spread by rooting overground runners.

If you are out for a coastal walk, look out for it growing on the high hedge banks on Alma Lane where it joins the South West Coast Path.

If you have any medical concerns please consult with a medical professional.

To read more herbal ramblings follow @canda_diacono on Instagram or Facebook.