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Hedera helix

Hedera helix

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Order
Apiales
Family
Araliaceae
Genus
Hedera
Species
HEDERA HELIX
Synonyms
common ivy, European ivy

Habitat / Home / Areal

Ivy is found naturally in places in Western Europe, from where it spread to the rest of Europe and Asia and America.

Botanical description

Habitus: A perennial evergreen plant that can grow up to 30 meters in length with a trunk diameter of up to 20 cm. It has numerous small roots that help it to attach itself to other trees or objects. The root system is branched and shallow. The bark is green, and later turns ash gray.

Flower: The flowers of the ivy are bisexual, fragrant, collected in shield inflorescences. The flowers are double, the corolla is made of 5 yellow-green ovate petals, acuminate, which initially stick out, and later curl back. The calyx is also toothed, up to 5 tiny teeth. Ivy blooms from September to November. The fruits are dark blue berries that contain whitish-gray kidney-shaped seeds

Leaves: The leaves grow alternately, are ovate, 6-10 cm long and 2-12 cm wide. They are cut into 3-5 lobes, have protruding white veins, leathery to the touch. In the beginning, they are covered with small hairs, and later they are bare, their face is dark green, and the back is lighter green.

Growth conditions / Cultivation / Care

It likes low temperatures and high humidity. It can grow on more acidic and poor soils, and humus soils are suitable for it. It also tolerates sandy soils well because the roots branch faster in them. Ivy adapts well to city pollution, it suits a moderate climate with wet springs and summers.

Gallery

Use / Function and landscape

  • Solitary planting
  • Planting in groups
  • For tree rows
  • A fruit of an interesting shape for arranging
  • It is used as ground cover

Special use

The berries are poisonous to everything except birds. In cosmetics, it is used to prepare creams and oils that have a beneficial effect on internal tissues, expelling excess water

Reproduction

It is propagated by seeds (most often in the wild) and vegetatively.

Varieties

Hedera helix Arborescens

Hedera helix Erecta

Hedera helix Gloire de Marengo 

Diseases and pests

Diseases: xanthomonas, rhizoctonia, anthracnose

Pests: caterpillars, snails, red spider mite