The Roman agricultural writers much recommended Ivy leaves as cattle food, but they are not relished by cows, though sheep and deer will sometimes eat them in the winter.
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Evergreen Ivy:Habitat and Plant Description.:
The plant is found over the greater part of Europe and Northern and Central Asia, and is said to have been particularly abundant at Nyssa, the fabled home of Bacchus in his youth. There are many varieties, but only two accepted species, i.e. Hedera Helix and the Australian species, which is confined to the southern Continent.
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen and thickened, 2 to 4 inches long, shiny dark green to blue green above with pale veins and lighter green below; juvenile leaves are unlobed, leaves on flowering branches are lobed or unlobed and ovate.
Flower: Perfect, small, greenish white, in round clusters; appearing in fall.
Fruit: Round black drupes, 1/4 inch across; ripen over winter.
Twig: Slender, light green but later turning light brown with aerial rootlets.
Bark: Light brown slightly rough and finely scaly with numerous rootlets at the nodes.
Form: A low spreading ground cover that can also climb high onto buildings and trees using aerial roots.
Appearance: Evergreen ivy with deep green leaves. Leaves have rounded or pointed lobes. Trailing stems root as they spread.
Best use: Attractive natural cover for walls and sides of buildings. May be used as ground cover under trees or in dense shade.
Light: Perennial. Grows in full sun to full shade.
Size: A clinging vine. Grows to 40 feet spread (12.3 m).
Spacing: Space 6" to 12" apart (15 - 30 cm).
Soil: Grows best in moist, fertile soil.
Water: Water ground covers in dry weather once per week. On steep hills, build ridges to keep water from running down hill too fast. Water thoroughly less often versus short waterings more frequently.
Tips: Mulch between plants after initial planting. This helps control weeds and provides a natural slow release fertilizer. Use lawn fertilize in early spring. Baltic ivy takes 2 years to completely fill in area.
A single English ivy plant can find many uses all round the garden. It can be used to cover a wall in shade where few other plants thrive, it can be trained to climb up or spread out along a low wall. Being evergreen, it is perfect for covering pergola poles, or creating a leafy backdrop under clematis and climbing roses that provides winter interest. Or use young plants to train around the outsides of winter hanging baskets. English ivy can be trimmed into shape at any time of year. Be careful when handling it if you have sensitive skin as its sap can be irritating.
Reference:
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- 1.The Roman agricultural writers much recommended Ivy leaves as cattle food, but they are not relished by cows, though sheep and deer will sometimes eat them in the winter.
This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.
♣ last edit date:26th,Oct.2010.
