Ivy - Hedera helix
Irish name - Eidheann
Ivy family - Araliaceae
Hedera helix is an evergreen woody climber (‘helix’ means spirally twisted) found on trees, walls, rocky outcrops or on the ground in woods.
Ivy has two distinct forms. The juvenile stage, with its palm-like lobed leaves, is adapted to living in low-light conditions and is found creeping along the ground or climbing up walls and trees. The mature stage can produce bushy branches and flowering shoots with simple leaves.
Ivy is not, as commonly thought, a parasite that kills trees, but instead obtains all its nutrient from the sun and the soil. It uses the tree simply as a support to get to where it wants to go. However, Ivy has enormous wildlife value. The flowers are tiny and greenish and appear from September to November and are a major source of nectar and pollen for insects like flies and wasps in autumn. The berries which persist from December to February, turning blue-black when ripe, are poisonous to humans but are adored by birds during severe winters, particularly blackbirds, thrushes and wood pigeons.
Some species of insect are known to feed on the foliage of ivy and it is highly palatable to deer and stock. Furthermore the foliage and intertwining stems provide shelter all year round for birds to build their nests, bats to roost, and may host hibernating minibeasts.
Propagation
From seed
Remove the flesh of the seed, which inhibits germination. Four weeks cold stratification will improve germination. Sow the seed in spring in a cold frame. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into pots and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions after the last expected frosts in late spring.
From cuttings
Ivy propagates readily by stem cuttings. Make the cutting just below an existing leaf node and remove all bottom leaves before rooting. The cuttings easily root in water or in a moistened, light mixture of peat moss with sand/or perlite. Be careful when handling it if you have sensitive skin as its sap can be irritating.
The following grow in similar habitats (alphabetical by common name)
- Bluebell
- Bugle
- Common Dog Violet
- Cuckooflower
- Foxglove
- Lesser Celandine
- Primrose
- Ragged-Robin
- Red Campion
- Self-heal
- Snowdrop
- Teasel
- Wild Garlic
- Wild Strawberry
- Wood Anemone
Permission from the landowner - and, if the site holds any kind of designation, from Environment & Heritage Service too - must be sought before collecting plant material (including seeds).