ivy - Uses and cultivation

An evergreen woody climber (Hedera helix), growing to 30 m/100 ft, native to Europe and W Asia; adhesive aerial roots; leaves dark green often with pale veins; those of juvenile, climbing shoots palmately 3–5-lobed; those of mature, non-climbing shoots, oval, entire; flowers greenish-yellow, 5-petalled, petals 3–4 mm/0·12–0·16 in, in rounded umbels produced on non-climbing shoots; fruits berry-like, black, ribbed, poisonous. (Family: Araliaceae.)

iHedera
Hedera hibernica shoot with flower buds
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Apiales Family: Araliaceae Genus: Hedera L.
Species
See text

Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of about ten species of climbing or ground-creeping evergreen woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to the Atlantic Islands, western, central and southern Europe, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan. The leaves are eaten by the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera such as Angle Shades, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Scalloped Hazel, Small Angle Shades, Small Dusty Wave (which feeds exclusively on ivy), Swallow-tailed Moth and Willow Beauty. Hedera colchica – Caucasian Ivy or Persian Ivy.

Note: Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), although titled "ivy" is, in fact, not a "true" ivy.

Uses and cultivation

Ivies are very popular in cultivation within their native range, both for attracting wildlife, and for their evergreen foliage;

Much has been argued as to whether ivy climbing trees will harm the tree or not; the consensus in Europe is that they do not harm trees significantly, though they may compete for ground nutrients and water to a small extent, and trees with a heavy growth of ivy can be more liable to windthrow. It is generally considered that a soundly mortared wall is impenetrable to the climbing roots of ivy and will not be damaged, and is also protected from further weathering by the ivy keeping rain off the mortar. Walls with already weak or loose mortar may however be badly damaged, as the ivy is able to root into the weak mortar and further break up the wall. Subsequent removal of the ivy can be difficult, and is likely to cause more damage than the ivy itself.

Regional English names for ivy include Bindwood and Lovestone (for the way it clings and grows over stones and brickwork).

Ivy is the official symbol of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Alpha Phi sorority.