Hedera helix is a vigorous and dense evergreen landscape groundcover or vine. English Ivy is adapted to sun or shade, widely grown in zone 5 and warmer, but hardy to zone 4 (a minimum of -30 degrees F in severe winters) if the cultivar 'Thorndale' is utilized.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-groundcover to 8" high and typically spreading 2-10' in a prostrate mat growth habit, or as a vine, climbing up to 50' as a structural cover
-rapid growth rate |
Foliage
-emerging kelly green and then changing to glossy dark evergreen
-alternate with the juvenile form (most common), broadly ovate, 3- to 5-lobed with shallow sinuses
-adult form (on old flowering branches) rhombic to ovate, with an acute base and tip
-both forms have entire margins, with green-white veins radiating from the upper petiole
-autumn color dark green, becoming green-bronzed or with winter burn brown margins by the end of winter |
Flowers
-green-white inflorescences in Oct.
-inconspicuous, sparse, rare, and only on mature growth |
Fruit
-inconspicuous and rare
-black fruits maturing in Apr. of the following season |
Twig
-light brown with either functional roots (groundcover habit) or aerial roots for clasping (vine habit) |
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Trunk
-tan on extremely old vines |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-partial to full shade
-performs best in moist, well-drained soils, but is adaptable to many adverse conditions, including hot, dry situations in sun or shade
-propagated by rooted stem cuttings
-Ginseng Family, with cosmetic leaf spots sometimes occurring during wet periods of summer
-mulch at transplanting to prevent weed establishment and winter freeze heaving
-one may utilize English Ivy to go up a brick or stone wall, but it is not advisable to allow the vine habit to engulf the base of a tree trunk
-abundantly available in flats |
Hardiness
-zones 5 to 9 (landscape cultivars are often selected for cold hardiness in zone 4)
Origin
-native to the Caucasian Mountains of Europe
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-broadleaf evergreen groundcover or vine
Liabilities
-some cosmetic leaf problems may occur in wet summers (leaf spot) or harsh winters (winter burn)
-retains some blown leaves in autumn and winter |
Function
-evergreen groundcover for foundations, entranceways, under shade trees, or in raised planters
-evergreen structural cover for walls (usually stone or brick)
Texture
-medium texture
-thick density |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-evergreen groundcovers or vines (Euonymus fortunei var. coloratus, Liriope spicata, Vinca minor, etc.) |