Hedera helix

Plant Image Data Base

Hedera helix

English Ivy

(Araliaceae - Ginseng Family)

Form

semi-woody evergreen groundcover or evergreen vine; mounding to 1' high in dense ground plantings and radiating from 2' to 10' as a groundcover, or climbing to 50' or more on its supportive structure as a vine
prostrate mat growth habit or climbing vine growth habit
medium growth rate (in perimeter spread or terminal climb)

Culture

full sun to full shade
performs best in moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in partial sun, but is adaptable to many adverse conditions, including heat, drought, poor soils, soils of various pH, compacted soils, dry soils, and sun or shade conditions
propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings, although transplanting of rooted stem segments from the landscape is also possible
Ginseng Family, with leaf spot being the primary disease, usually occurring during wet periods of the growing season; exposed leaves (especially at the stem tips) may also winterburn during the dormant season
abundantly available in flats
mulch at transplanting to prevent weed establishment and Winter freeze heaving during the first year of growth
one may utilize English Ivy to climb a brick or stone wall, but it is not advisable to allow the vine habit to engulf the base of a tree trunk, as this can provide shelter for rodents (especially mice and chipmunks) in Winter, and may lead to bark and cambium gnawing damage of the tree (resulting in tree decline or death, especially for small trees), especially during periods of snow or ice coverage

Foliage

emerging Kelly green and then changing to glossy dark evergreen
alternate, about 3" long and wide, with the juvenile form (most common) broadly ovate, three- to five-lobed, with shallow sinuses
adult leaf form (on old flowering branches, typically in climbing situations and rarely seen) is rhombic to ovate, having an acute base and acute apex with no lobes
both forms have entire margins, with green-white veins radiating throughout the leaf blade from the upper petiole
fall color is dark green, becoming green-bronzed or with winterburn-bleached margins by the end of Winter

Flowers

green-white inflorescences in October, being inconspicuous, sparse, rare, and only on mature growth

Fruits

Twigs

light brown, with either functional roots (groundcover habit) or aerial roots for clasping (vine habit)

Trunk

ID Summary

ovate, broadly-lobed, shiny evergreen leaves spiral in alternate fashion around the light green fairly thick stems, usually found in groundcover usage in foundation beds, but also capable of vine habit, often covering tree trunks or brick walls, and adaptable to all sun or shade conditions

Function

evergreen groundcover for foundations, entranceways, embankments, under shade trees, or in raised planters
evergreen structural cover for solid walls (usually stone or brick)

Texture

Assets

Liabilities

some cosmetic leaf problems may occur in wet Summers (leaf spots) or harsh Winters (winterburn)
retains some blown leaves in Autumn and Winter

Habitat

zones 5 to 9 (landscape cultivars are often selected for cold hardiness to the warmer portions of zone 4)
native to the Caucasian Mountains of Europe

Variants

Many cultivars of English Ivy have been selected for variegated (white or yellow), cut leaf, or curly foliage, or for dwarf habit and slow growth rate, but most of these are usually zone 6 in cold hardiness at best, and are relegated to Southern habitats or the status of indoor plants.
Hedera helix 'Thorndale' - slightly larger leaves than normal, a derivative of the standard cultivar 'Baltica' and superior to it and virtually all others in cold hardiness (zone 4).

Purpose

English Ivy is the most common broadleaf evergreen groundcover or broadleaf evergreen vine.

Summary

Hedera helix is a vigorous and dense evergreen landscape groundcover or vine, hardy to zone 4 (a minimum of -20 degrees Fahrenheit in average Winters) if the cultivar 'Thorndale' is utilized.