Glechoma hederacea

thank you both for identifying it. what advice is there for making sure it doesn’t take over my entire yard?

The interwebs say:

Creeping Charlie thrives in moist, shady spots such as under trees and shrubs. If you can alter these conditions, it will be easier to discourage this weed. If possible, improve soil drainage or water less frequently, or prune trees up so the area receives more light. If the area is weak or the lawn thin, try to improve turf health and density by mowing regularly at a height of 2 – 3½ inches, fertilizing as appropriate for the grass type, overseeding in the fall, and watering properly. Also, make sure you’re growing the most suitable type of turfgrass for the area (shade tolerant varieties under trees).

Could you use weed & feed on the portion of lawn near the woods? This may be an appropriate place for that product.

Don't waste money. Only a foliar spray will kill Creeping Charlie.

To be least destructive to native plants, use a low solution of 2-4-d and spray in early spring when the natives are dormant. You don't have to soak the ground with it, just make sure the leaves are wet. Add a wetting agent to the solution. I use Downy fabric softener. You only need less than 1% 2-4-d.

I find it to be actually soothing knowing that I'm killing a giant pest.

This is the only way to be rid of it. Those who think you can rid it without chemicals also believe in the tooth fairy, or that money grows on trees.

Is the woods by your house part of a forest preserve? If it is, you can report it to them, and ask them to eradicate it.

Dandy_line, have you treated lawns filled with creeping charlie?

Yes I have it at my place right now but not in the lawn since I don't have one. I once tried the Borax system. It did nothing at all. Just another example of "quackery science".

Early Spring is the time to attack CC. A mild solution of 2-4-d is very effective before the natives come up. It only attacks broad leaf type plants meaning the grass is not affected. In my area the time for control would be early April.

In the last two years I've gotten about 95% of it. But 100% is the goal, meaning not one single root is left. One must be vigilant against armed invaders.

When I pull it out by hand and try to get all the roots, it seems it must grow back from small root fragments unless there are trillions of seeds laying dormant in the soil. I keep it out of all my plant beds except a large bed under an oak. I'm dealing with that whenever it decides to cool down.

It's very easy to pull and it's never tried to take over my yard. Violets, dandelions and Virginia creeper my enemies, and I think they're winning.

I'm all about using the least harmful products to do a job, but sometimes you need more horsepower than organic approaches will give you. Look for a product containing Triclopyr and labeled for creeping Charlie. Spray any time it is growing. If the cc slows down in the heat, then wait until it cools off again.