Hedera - Ivy
(Hed'era)
DESCRIPTION: These are climbing or trailing plants that grow wild in Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and the Canary Islands. They have shiny, leathery leaves that come in many different shapes and sizes. When they are young, these plants climb and trail and when they reach the top of their support their aerial roots cease to appear and they take on a bushy form. The shapes of their leaves change as well. They bear yellow or greenish-yellow flowers in round clusters in the fall. Small fruits, the shape of Peas, develop during the winter and are dark purple or black, sometimes yellow, and rarely they are reddish. They are good for ground cover under trees where grass won't grow, and in other shaded areas. If they are expected to climb, they should be cut back to 6 inches at planting time in the spring, and be set as close as possible to the support that they are to cling to. In the spring, Ivies that are grown against a wall should be cut back as close to the wall as possible and way below the eaves. Later in the year it may be necessary to remove straying shoots. Hedera helix hibernica is the Irish Ivy, it has large, leathery, long-stalked leaves. It is a vigorous plant and is often used against high walls. It's generally known in North America as the English Ivy. Hedera canariensis variegata has creamy white dappled on its foliage and is usually planted in California.
POTTING: Ivy will grow well in regular garden soil. They can live in full sun, as long as they are given enough water, and in semi-shade, but in cold climates, they are liable to suffer from winter burn if they are in sunny, exposed areas. It's not a good idea to plant Ivies along walls that are hot and sunny.
PROPAGATION: Ivies are extremely easy to increase by cuttings. The cuttings should be 6-9 inches long (a little shorter in some of the short-jointed, tiny-leaved varieties), remove the lower leaves and plant them in a bed in a greenhouse or cold frame that's kept closed. In mild climates they may be planted directly outside in a sheltered, shaded area. When they are grown as houseplants, the cuttings can be planted in a pot of moist sand or vermiculite and covered with a bell or mason jar, so the atmosphere is kept humid until they root. They will also root if they are placed in a jar of water. The mature type of Tree Ivy may be grafted onto rooted cuttings of the trailing kinds. This should be done in a greenhouse in the spring. They can also be raised from seeds.
VARIETIES
(L) = leaves
Large-leaved:
H. Helix (English Ivy);
H. Helix hibernica (Irish Ivy); aureo-maculata (L. gold mottled); maculata (L. white or gray mottled); folliis argenteis (L. silver variegated);
H. helix baltica;
H. canariensis (Canary Island Ivy);
H. colchica (Persian Ivy) and its varieties, amurensis & dentata;
H. nepalensis cinerea (Himalayan Ivy);
H. rhombea (Japanese Ivy).
Colored Leaves:
H. Cavendishii (L. sm., cream edges); aurea maculata (L. lg. dappled w/ gold); palmato-aurea (L. gold & green); flavescens (L. gold & green); scutifolia spectabilis aurea (L. golden).
Silver variegated:
Crippsii; marginata major; marginata media; minor variegata; lacteola.
Small-leaved:
digitata; digitata nana; minima; purpurea (L. purple); nigra (L. dark purple); Emerald Green (L. sm. bright green); ovata; pedata; rugosa; lucida; venosa.
These varieties are good for rock gardens:
conglomerata; minima.
These are especially suited for cultivation in pots:
Pittsburgh, Hahn's Self-branching; Hahn's Variegated; Manda's Crested; Maple Queen; Silver Garland, Merion Beauty; Pin Oak;
Silver Emblem;
Silver King;
Sylvanian Beauty;
Weber's California.
English Ivy, H. helix
Back to our botanical home page.
