Consumption of berries or contact with sap may cause medium-severity poison symptoms including skin irritation and burning in throat if allergic. Consumption of leaves could cause high-severity symptoms including hallucination, fever, vomiting and convulsions.
Native to northern Africa, considered invasive in many states, and Massachusetts is considering adding it to its list.
Creeping groundcover plant that can also grow around trees.
Thrives in almost all sun, moisture and soil conditions, as well as heavily disturbed sites.
Small, smooth leaves are green and white with a glossy look.
Not to be confused with Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy), which has groupings of three leaves compared to English ivy's single leaves, is much shinier and waxier, and is far more toxic.
Hardiness zone: 4-13.
Sentimental and Symbolic Value
Ivy was closely associated with various pagan gods including Osiris, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood; Dionysus/Bacchus, the Greco-Roman gods of wine; and Hymenaios, the Greek god of marriage. These meanings were adopted by Christians, who used the plant as a symbol of love, friendship, immortality, and death.
Ivy is commonly used today in bridal bouqets and in the traditional Christian celebration practices of All Soul's Day.
Specimen photographed found on St. Stephen Street, Boston, Massachusetts, Part of the Spontaneous Urban Plants assignment (10/13/2021)
Plant History and Etymology
Hedera is the classical Latin word for "ivy", originating as a cognate of the Greek word khandánō, "to grasp". The specific epithet comes from the Ancient Greek elix, meaning "spiral". English ivy has been a common ornamental plant with important symbolism in Europe and the Mediterranean for centuries. It can be commonly seen climbing along walls and in gardens across Europe where it is intentionally planted to beautify facades and provide natural cooling and insulation. By virtue of being a fast-growing, self-clinging climber, it was bound to cause problems when brought to a new environment like the New World, where it quickly became an uncontrollable invasive.
Design Considerations
As it is a highly aggressive and potentially invasive plant, it is generally not recommended to use in cultivated plantings. It spreads very quickly, covering and suffocating other plants as a groundcover and strangling host plants as a vine. However, its aggressiveness means that if managed well, it could make a hardy groundcover for a small plot. It is highly valued in its native territory as a food source for insects, birds, and deer, and as a wall cover vine to create a natural cooling effect. The variant H. helix var. hibernica is a common hanging interior plant.
Sources
Buyakie, Bryce. 2021. “English Ivy Is More Common than Poison Ivy but Dangerous for the Allergic Few.” The Daily Record. The Daily Record. July 17, 2021. https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/news/2021/07/17/itchy-red-rash-what-you-need-know-english-and-poison-ivy/7949985002/.
“USDA Plants Database.” 2021. Usda.gov. 2021. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=HEHE.
“Hedera Helix (English-Ivy): Go Botany.” 2021. Nativeplanttrust.org. 2021. https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/hedera/helix/.
“Hedera Helix | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” 2021. Ncsu.edu. 2021. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hedera-helix/.
National Records of Scotland Web Team. 2013. “Ivy | National Records of Scotland.” Nrscotland.gov.uk. May 31, 2013. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/archivists-garden/index-by-plant-name/rock-ivy.
“PCA/APWG Distribution Map: English Ivy (Hedera Helix).” 2021. Invasive.org. 2021. https://www.invasive.org/alien/map/hehe1.htm.
Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Hedera Helix.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. September 15, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_helix#Range.