ENGLISH IVY

Common name: English Ivy
Scientific Name: Hedera Helix of Araliacaeae (aralia) family
Indian name : इंग्लिश आईवी

English Ivy is native to most of Europe and western Asia. European colonists introduced English ivy as early as 1727. It is widely planted for its evergreen foliage and dependability as a year-round “carefree” groundcover. Countless varieties of ivy have been developed that offers wide range of leaf shapes and colours.

Maintainance

Benefits

It is helpful in removing toxins and is particularly effective at removing formaldehyde.

• They are easy to grow and adapt to variety of home environments. However, they do not generally do well in high temperature.
• Feed regularly in growth season with weak concentration fertilizers when plants are growing.
• Spider mites and scale insects are problem in too warm and dry location. To avoid this, mist regularly especially when air is dry.
• This plant may benefit from being outdoors for a period in spring or early summers.
• Outdoors, English ivy does best in moderate conditions, protected from both harsh winter winds and excessive heat of summer. Very humid conditions can encourage root rot and bacterial leaf spot.
• Water them often enough to keep the soil moist until the plants are established and growing. These vines grow best when they have plenty of moisture, but they tolerate dry conditions once established

Repotting and propogation

• Repot small ivy plants into fresh potting soil every year, or every other year for larger plants. Old, tired plants can be refreshed and planted back into their same containers with fresh soil.
• Ivies propagate readily from stem cuttings. Because they are trailing plants, ivies benefit from trimming—use these trimmings to propagate your plants. Take cuttings 4 to 5 inches long and place them in water until a good network of root hairs has developed, then plant in potting soil. Spreading stems on the ground will root wherever they touch the soil; these stems can be severed, dug up, and replanted.

Where to plant it?

English is usually used as ground cover in public atriums or lobbies. But to add interest, try growing in topiary form. It is ideal for use in hanging basket.
English Ivy is a vigorous climber, which sends out an aerial root that attach themselves to any surface.