Ivy Facts
Ivy Facts To Help You Find A Variety To Plant, Or To Avoid
Armed with a few basic ivy facts, you can get a reasonably good idea as to the variety which may best suit your needs. There is a large variety of ivy plants, so you might first wish to view some images, or visit a local nursery, to find the most attractive variety for your particular setting. As a start, think of ivy as being one of two types, ground ivy, and wall ivy. As the names imply, ground ivy is superior for landscaping and ground cover, while wall ivy is suited for trellises, small structures, and larger buildings as well. Ivy covered buildings on some of our college campuses are a perfect example of what wall ivy can do.
The most common ivy plant is English Ivy, also known as Common ivy. English ivy is a popular ornamental plant, and can be grown both as a ground cover and as a climber - yes, some ground ivy does climb, and the division between ground ivy and wall ivy is not all that cut and dried. English ivy has some not so nice characteristics as well. The flowers are quite poisonous, and though a relatively slow grower, English ivy can easily spread out of control. English ivy facts worth knowing are, the plant is an invasive species, and is considered to be a noxious weed in most of our states. English ivy is even banned in certain areas. English ivy can climb to the tops of trees, either eventually killing the trees, or causing them to topple, and can also destroy habitat and food sources for wild life. This attractive plant, preferred for gardening and landscaping, can become quite an unpleasant character if set loose.
An extremely attractive ground ivy which does live up to its name is Melanie ivy. This ivy has larger leaves than does English ivy. The leaves are curly at the edges and have narrow maroon veins. Melanie ivy is very adaptable to varying soil and climatic conditions, and is regarded as a superb ground cover and landscaping plant.
When we read or are told that ground ivy is edible, understand that English ivy is definitely not the subject under discussion. The edible ground ivy is Cat's Foot, which is not a true ivy, and is actually a member of the mint family. One of the advantages of most ground ivy varieties is that they will often grow where grass cannot, and being deep rooted, are especially valuable on slopes where soil erosion is a potential problem.
Wall ivy is often a superior means of masking a structure to improve its appearance. As is the case with ground ivy, there are several varieties of wall ivy to choose from. The most popular by far is Boston ivy. Among the more important Boston ivy facts is, it will grow on almost anything, and can grow to a height of a five story building. Very pretty on college campuses, not so pretty on other vegetation. Boston ivy can overgrow a tree, which will eventually die from a lack of sunlight. Most wall ivy types share this characteristic. They are easy to grow, but must be kept trimmed, or at least not grown in areas where other vegetation may be threatened.
Finally, there is dwarf ivy, a plant with generally smaller leaves, which is a favorite as a container plant, and variegated ivy, a characteristic of a number of ivy plants, in which the leaves, rather than being a solid color, contain colored streaks. Whichever type you may buy, you'll find ivy will grow in most places you might wish to plant it. Ivy tolerates both sun and shade, though not extremes of either. It is a very hardy plant and can be severely trimmed, or even mowed, if needed.
There are also a few ivy facts of interest concerning the plant's role in history and folklore. In ancient times, ivy was thought to be a plant of the gods, including the Greek god Dionysus, and the Roman god Saturn. Some Greek gods wore crowns of ivy. The reasoning behind ivy being the plant of the gods might be traced to its tenaciousness, it's ability to survive under extreme conditions.