Common ivy
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Just as at home when it’s covering the side of a building as it is coiling around the trunk of a tree, the common ivy is a real social climber in the plant world.
Despite sometimes looking like it is strangling other plants, ivy is not a parasitic plant, and doesn’t leech away nutrients from the trees it grows on.
In fact, common ivy provides a crucial source of food for invertebrates, birds and mammals during winter, with its flowers and berries being rich in energy.
Ivy is also an icon of Christmas, featured in wreaths and decorations alongside holly and spruce.
While the leaves of common ivy are mildly toxic if eaten, they are not dangerous if touched like poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).
Plant description
Common ivy grows as an evergreen woody climber (known as a liana) supported by a tree, wall or other structure. The stems are purple-green, and woody nearer the base. Young leaves are leathery and dark green with fine white hairs and have three to five lobes. The older leaves have no lobes, and are diamond shaped, with white markings developing from the edges.
The flowers grow in spherical clusters at the end of stalks and resemble small pale green spheres each with around five yellow stamen. The fruits are small black berries, around 8mm in diameter, which contain five seeds each.
Plant uses
Cultural
Ivy is linked with Christmas as it flowers over winter, and is used in wreaths and as decoration in homes.
Ivy is included in many wedding bouquets and decorations, due to its meaning of fidelity in the language of flowers.
In ancient Rome, wreaths of ivy were awarded to the winners of poetry contests.
Health
Extracts from ivy berries are used in certain cough medicines.
Materials and fuels
Ivy leaves can be safely eaten by cattle and are occasionally used as emergency feed.
Did you know?
The ancient Greeks and Romans wore wreaths of ivy leaves around their heads as they believed it would stop them from getting drunk. It did not.
In the Celtic alphabet ogham, ivy is associated with the letter G, known as Gort, meaning ‘field’.
The helix in the scientific name of ivy refers to how the plant coils around as it climbs.
Research has found that ivy growing on the outside of a building can help keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Ivy is able to climb smooth vertical surfaces like walls by extending miniscule root hairs into any gaps, secreting a gluey substance and hardening.
Where in the world?
Found in woodlands and parks, climbing on trees and walls, and occasionally trailing across the ground.
Find it in our gardens
Kew Gardens
A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.
Location
Natural Area, in front of the Palm House
View map of Kew GardensBest time to see
Wakehurst
Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex that has over 500 acres of plants from around the world and is home to the Millennium Seed Bank.
