15 Curious English Ivy Facts That Are Worth Knowing!

English ivy (Hedera helix), is a type of flowering plant belonging to the family of Araliaceae.

English ivy does not grow everywhere. You can only find this species of flowering plants in some parts of Europe and the western part of Asia and America. English ivy is considered to be a type of invasive weed, which has the ability to grow almost in any kind of well-drained surroundings.

The history of the English ivy plant dates back to the 17th century. It was first introduced to the rest of the world by European colonists.

Although English ivy is treated as a kind of invasive weed in the garden, it is nevertheless sold as an ornamental plant in the United States of America. English ivy thrives in an environment where sunlight and fertile soil are prominent.

It is also extensively found in most parts of the USA where its territory extends from Arizona to Washington state.

English ivy possesses some of the characteristics which pose a threat to animals and other living species. This pretty-looking, invasive flowering species of weed, popularly also called an aggressive invader, affects vegetation levels of plantations and forests.

Read on to know more about the English ivy plant and the appearance of its flowers. Afterward, also check out Europa Moon facts and Spanish moss facts.

English Ivy Classification

If you come across a plant that has spread wide in its colony, clutching tightly to its host (which might be a wall or a tree trunk) and possesses a vine of green color, that is undoubtedly an English ivy plant.

Now that you are aware of how this invasive weed looks, let's learn more about English ivy’s classification.

English ivy is a flowering plant belonging to the genus ivy. Below is detailed information of the ivy classification.

Kingdom: Plantae (they possess characteristics of being multicellular and through the process of photosynthesis they can produce their own food)

Domain: eukarya (they contain eukaryotic cells or most commonly called true nucleus)

Phylum: Magnoliophyta (basically means the English ivy is a flowering plant)

Class: dicotyledons (contains leaves having a special type of veins where they can do multiple functions like pollination)

Order: apiales (English ivy can be pollinated by a variety of organisms)

Family: Araliaceae (they belong to the family of Araliaceae)

Genus: Hedera L. (a type of genus containing all forms of ivy)

Species: Hedera helix (it is also the scientific name for English ivy)

These flowering, invasive weeds have a high chance of drying out in the winter season, prompting their eventual death.

English Ivy Colors

English ivy does not come in a plethora of different colors but its colors can transform, although not always for good reason.

For example, English ivy might see a change in its color due to the inhibition of a fungus called anthracnose. This fungus affects English ivy by giving the leaves large, dark-colored spots. In addition to infecting the leaves, the fungus also affects the stems by making them weaker in strength.

The naturally occurring color of English ivy’s foliage is blue, greenish-yellow, gold, gray, and silver. English ivy is considered to be an ornamental plant in spite of its toxic, harmful chemicals mainly because of its beautiful appearance, which many people believe enhances the look of their home.

Taking Care Of English Ivy

English ivy can make a surprisingly good houseplant, mainly because of its aesthetic appearance, easy-care nature, and unique stems. However, keeping it away from pets and kids is important.

While having English ivy indoors in your house, there are numerous things you need to take care of. Planting English ivy in fertile soil with a balanced amount of sun and shade will help nourish the stems, in turn contributing to the plant's growth.

English ivy generally takes about three months to fully develop and after that the growth rate will significantly increase.

When watering English ivy, make sure you have a consistent watering schedule. Ivy prefers a medium amount of water but it doesn’t mean the plant should stay wet for extended periods of time. Developing a rhythm you routinely adhere to is important.

Hedera helix prefers a moist and shady environment. If you are a garden person, make sure you plant the ivy in an environment of that nature. Ivy prefers bright light but do not plant it directly under the sun; the plant will die out quickly.

Because of English ivy's toxic nature, make sure that a safe distance is maintained between the plant and your pets. English ivy is also prone to spider mites, so make sure English ivy is raised in an above-average humidity or in cooler temperatures where these pests cannot survive.

Another important piece of advice in taking care of English ivy is to keep it away from air conditioning or heating vents as they can make the ivy turn prematurely brown and die sooner.

Medicinal Uses Of English Ivy

Since English ivy is a vine, it possesses some healing and medicinal properties. Many people believe that ivy plants have the capacity to clear out airway passages so sometimes ivy is taken by mouth to reduce swelling and blockage of airway passages.

English ivy is known to contain expectorant properties which help to improve the overall function of lungs, especially with people having difficulty breathing. English ivy also comes in handy for treating liver conditions, gallbladder and spleen problems, joint pains, and gout.

English ivy also contains some good antioxidant properties as well. It is often used to treat skin infections, skin burns, inflammation caused by skin conditions, headaches, and ulcers.

English ivy also has anti-inflammatory properties and English ivy extracts can also play a vital role as an immune system booster, speeding up the overall process of healing.

Ivy became popular as a decorative plant due to its hardiness and ability to grow quickly even on the ground without human intervention. However, escaped ivy plants have become naturalized outside of their original habitat and are now growing unrestrained in a variety of places.

English ivy can quickly escape from a well-kept garden and spread to surrounding parks, forests, and other natural areas.

It is a vine plant and it needs shade. It thrives in a wide range of soil pH, with 6.5 being optimal; favors wet, dark environments; and avoids direct sunshine. Each berry of flowers contains one to five seeds, which are distributed after being eaten by birds.

English ivy is commonly planted to cover walls in Europe, and the Bavarian government recommends it for its ability to cool the interior of buildings in the summer while providing insulation in the winter, as well as protect the covered building from temperature fluctuations.

English ivy prefers to be kept on the dry side, so you can keep your soil moist rather than use soggy soil. Organic matter added to well drained soil is optimal. Make sure you don't use overly dry soil.

Ivy can cling to the canopy of young English ivy plants or tiny trees in such a dense manner that the trees may topple over due to the weight. Dense ivy, in its full form, can devastate native wildlife habitat and create enormous areas of solid ivy where no other plants can grow.

To avoid regeneration, these plants must be chopped off at the root and the stumps dug out or killed. In the Pacific Northwest and the southern United States, state and county-sponsored campaigns are encouraging the removal of ivy.

In Oregon, it is illegal to sell or import it. Ivy may easily escape from cultivated gardens and infest parks, forests, and other natural areas nearby.

The ground cover to plant English ivy or any other common ivy should be drained. The plant, English Ivy, is a dark green, evergreen plant that is a climbing vine, although it can also grow on the ground.

Weed suppression in gardens, beautifying unattractive facades, and growing on tree trunks are some of the other applications. A frequent and often charming sight is the dark green ivy covering the walls of an ancient building.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 15 curious English ivy facts that are worth knowing then why not take a look at mind-blowing 2003 facts or 101 fun facts about water for kids.