

Ivy
Botanical name: Hedera
Ivy
Botanical name: Hedera


Description

Ivy are a small group of evergreen plants famous for their ability to cling and climb. They are often used decoratively to cover the sides of stone buildings. Ivy have had great cultural and symbolic significance, representing love and friendship. They were also thought to be able to protect people from misfortune and evil spirits. For this reason, many royal crests and sigils incorporated these plants.

Species of Ivy


Himalayan ivy
Himalayan ivy are a small group of evergreen plants famous for their ability to cling and climb. They are often used decoratively to cover the sides of stone buildings. Himalayan ivy have had great cultural and symbolic significance, representing love and friendship. They were also thought to be able to protect people from misfortune and evil spirits. For this reason, many royal crests and sigils incorporated these plants.

Algerian ivy 'Gloire de Marengo'
Algerian ivy 'Gloire de Marengo' has dark green heart-shaped leaves that are marble gray-green and have irregular creamy-white margins. The name of this cultivar refers to the city of Marengo, from which a specimen was taken in the 19th century.

English ivy 'Conglomerata'
English ivy 'Conglomerata' is an unusual form of ivy that grows slowly in a dense 'conglomerate' of leaves that pack the leaf stems. Where the parent plant climbs freely and quickly to vine lengths of up to 30 m, after 10 years this cultivar will reach just 45 cm. This ivy loves shady growing conditions.

English ivy 'Pedata'
English ivy 'Pedata' is also called "Bird foot ivy" because of its main distinction: the deeply lobed leaf that brings to mind the shape of a bird foot. The leaf consists of three narrow lobes, with smaller lateral ones. It can reach a height and the spread of 4 m in the span of 5 to 10 years.

Himalayan ivy
Himalayan ivy is a woody evergreen perennial vine native to Nepal with gray-green leaves. It is typically cultivated and used as a climbing vine or trailing ground cover. All components of this plant are harmful to humans because they contain saponins.

Algerian ivy
Algerian ivy (Hedera algeriensis) is an evergreen ivy native to coastal mountains in Algeria and the north African coast. Algerian ivy is adaptable to most soil conditions. This species is considered invasive in some regions and has been cultivated in Britain since 1838. It's often planted as a ground cover on highway embankments to control erosion.

English ivy 'Manda's Crested'
The leaves on this cultivar of English ivy are wavy and unique but retain the deep green and pale veins of its parent. In the winter, though, english ivy 'Manda's Crested' gains a purple tinge as the temperature drops as if to keep the garden or climbing wall colorful all year.

Ivy 'Wonder'
Ivy 'Wonder' is a relatively compact form of English ivy that is often considered ideal for indoor hanging pots. As the name suggests, this cultivar can be a nice one to just sit and ponder. It seems to get more attention in Europe than North America.

English ivy 'Goldchild'
English ivy 'Goldchild' is a variegated ivy with heart-shaped leaves that are dark green with yellow margins. It is commonly used in gardens for its ornamental value and ability to attract birds and insects. The plant is toxic to humans and pets if ingested and can be invasive if not properly contained.

Ivy
Ivy is a fast-growing, vigorous ivy cultivar. It is referred to as 'Glacier' not for its cold tolerance (although it does do fine in cool temperate climates) but, rather, from its coloration. The rounded, triangular leaves of ivy are variegated, sporting splotches of glacier white and gray along with the typical green. It looks quite attractive in a winter hanging basket.

English ivy
English ivy is the most common climber of European forests. It is a perennial woody vine with evergreen, dark, shiny lobed leaves. It utilizes aerial rootlets to attach to the tree bark with exceptional strength, helping the english ivy creep more than 15 m up a tree. Hedera helix also grows as a forest groundcover and is invasive outside its native range.

English ivy 'Spetchley'
English ivy 'Spetchley' is an English ivy cultivar named for Spetchley Park Gardens, a well-curated horticultural center in Worcestershire, UK. This cultivar is unique in that the small triangular leaves are divided into three lobes. Normally English Ivy varieties are either divided into five lobes or none at all.

Colchis ivy 'Sulphur Heart'
Colchis ivy 'Sulphur Heart', also known as 'Paddy's Pride', is a H. colchica cultivar with extremely large, ovate, variegated leaves that can reach 20 cm in length. The name comes from the fact that the center of each dark-green leaf is splashed with yellow or yellow-green. It is a self-clinging, large evergreen climber.

Colchis ivy 'Dentata Variegata'
Colchis ivy 'Dentata Variegata' is a variegated, quick-growing cultivar of H. colchica. It is distinct because of its large, heart-shaped, dark molted green leaves that have uneven, cream-colored edges. It flowers in the autumn. Climbing shoots are sterile and can be distinguished from flowering shoots by its rounder foliage. Colchis ivy 'Dentata Variegata' received the Award of Garden Merit.

English ivy 'Anne Marie'
Kept for its versatility, the english ivy 'Anne Marie' is an ornamental ivy cultivar that is low maintenance with tolerance to animal pests and droughts. Gardeners often use this cultivar as a ground cover, in a container, or train it as a climbing cultivar. Fast growing, the english ivy 'Anne Marie' can grow up to 1.2 m tall.

English ivy 'Cavendishii'
English ivy 'Cavendishii' is a climbing vine that differs from its English ivy parent plant because of its variegated green and white leaves, which are far more striking than the plain green leaves of the parent. This cultivar is a long-established English hybrid, named 'Cavendishii' after the English surname Cavendish.

English ivy 'Green Ripple'
The deep green of the leaves contrasts with pale veins to create a ripple-like effect (presumably for how it was named), helping english ivy 'Green Ripple' stand out from its other English ivy relatives. If that weren't enough, the leaves take on a purple flush during winter, ensuring your fence or wall remains gorgeous all year long.

English ivy 'Ivalace'
Named "Ivy of the Year" in 2011 by the American Ivy Society, the five-pointed leaves on english ivy 'Ivalace' have a ruffled, lace-like appearance that earned the cultivar its name. These leaves help distinguish it from its English ivy parentage, and gardeners will happily enjoy these cultivars as they inhabit hanging pots, climb walls and trees, or spread out as ground cover.

Persian ivy
Persian ivy (Hedera colchica) is grown as a versatile groundcover that does particularly well in shaded areas. It's also good for erosion control on slopes, and can climb walls and trellis, and even make topiary art. Persian ivy is named after a region to the east of the Black Sea where this plant is native.

English ivy 'Midas Touch'
English ivy 'Midas Touch' is presumably named so because its leaves run with gold as though the variegation was touched by the fabled King Midas. The color distinguishes it easily from its English ivy parentage. Naturally, gardeners are drawn to the pairing of green and gold which is retained all year long.

Ivy 'White Wonder'
Ivy 'White Wonder' is acclaimed - and named - for the remarkable white edging on each leaf (which could potentially be where it got it's name). That makes it easy to tell apart from its English ivy forebears. Some gardeners will employ it in a hanging pot until it gets too large, then plant it near a wall or fence to cover the surface in beautiful vines.

English ivy 'Kolibri'
English ivy 'Kolibri' sports leaves of the same shape as its English ivy ancestors, but spices the visuals up with creamy or yellowish variegation. The coloration makes it an attractive addition to many gardens. It's name 'Kolibri' is the word for 'hummingbird' in several European languages.

Algerian ivy
Algerian ivy Hedera canariensis is commonly planted as an ornamental, engulfing fences, house walls, sheds, and old tree trunks. But beware, although it has an alluring look, It's a vigorous grower and will need to actively be kept at bay to prevent it from taking over! Although it prefers moist, rich soil, it will tolerate poorer conditions.

Atlantic ivy
It is an evergreen climbing plant, growing to 20 to 30 m high where suitable surfaces (trees, cliffs, walls) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. The leaves have entire margins and are ovoid or with five triangular lobes. The surface is glossy dark green with light ribs, while the underside is pale green. The fruits are blue-black berries.

Japanese ivy
It is an evergreen wood vine or shrub or bush perennial climbing 10 m length, with aerial roots. Stems are green. The leaves of Hedera rhombea are medium green, rhombic diamond shaped leaves. Leaves have petiole, is glossy and dark green. The bisexual flowers are yellow-green having 4 to 5 mm diameter. Different kinds of flowers, small, greenish-yellow, gathered in large numbers in erect umbrellas.

English ivy 'Oro di Bogliasco'
The center of each english ivy 'Oro di Bogliasco' leaf features a feathery mass of creamy yellow variegation. Gardeners enjoy this more colorful version of English ivy that climbs walls and fences and scrambles across the ground. The name means "gold from Bogliasco village."

Algerian ivy 'Gloire de Marengo'
Algerian ivy 'Gloire de Marengo'’s spreading growth habit makes it an excellent climbing plant in shade gardens, and it is also a popular container plant. Unlike some other plants in the genus, it produces variegated leaves that add to its appeal among gardeners.

Azores ivy
Azores ivy are a small group of evergreen plants famous for their ability to cling and climb. They are often used decoratively to cover the sides of stone buildings. Azores ivy have had great cultural and symbolic significance, representing love and friendship. They were also thought to be able to protect people from misfortune and evil spirits. For this reason, many royal crests and sigils incorporated these plants.

English ivy 'Little Diamond'
English ivy 'Little Diamond' are a small group of evergreen plants famous for their ability to cling and climb. They are often used decoratively to cover the sides of stone buildings. English ivy 'Little Diamond' have had great cultural and symbolic significance, representing love and friendship. They were also thought to be able to protect people from misfortune and evil spirits. For this reason, many royal crests and sigils incorporated these plants.




Scientific Classification
