English Ivy - Hedera helix Seeds - Creeper Climber Groundcover

English Ivy

Hedera is a genus of the family Araliaceae. English Ivy is an evergreen climbing plant, growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces (trees, cliffs, walls) are available, and also growing as a ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces.

It climbs by means of aerial rootlets which cling to the substrate. The leaves are 5–10cm long and are arranged alternately along the stems. There are two types of leaves. The juvenile leaves are palmately five-lobed on creeping and climbing stems, and unlobed cordate adult leaves on fertile flowering stems exposed to full sun, usually high in the crowns of trees or the top of rock faces.

The flowers are produced from late summer until late autumn, individually small, in 3–5 cm diameter umbels, greenish-yellow, and very rich in nectar, an important late autumn food source for bees and other insects. The fruit are purple-black to orange-yellow berries 6–8 mm in diameter, ripening in late winter, and are an important food for many birds.

It is happy in full sun to semi-shade and will even grow in deep shade. It is only suitable for regions without severe frost and in drier areas one should provide additional water.

It requires well-draining, compost-enriched soil and will love you if you apply a complete fertiliser once every six months.