Hedera canariensis

Sunset

Ivy

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Zones 5-9, 12-28

Full, Partial

Moderate

Algerian Ivy
Araliaceae
Evergreen, Vines

HEDERA

Ivy is appreciated by some gardeners for its ability to cover quickly, reviled by others—particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Virginia—for its invasive tendencies. Often used as a ground cover because of its horizontal growth habit, it also climbs to cover walls, fences, and trellises, attaching itself firmly by aerial rootlets (a factor to consider when planting against surfaces that must be painted). This type of growth occurs during the plant's juvenile stage, which can last up to 10 years; during this stage, the thick, leathery leaves are usually lobed. At maturity, ivies become shrubby, with stiff branches clothed in unlobed leaves, and they begin blooming: domelike clusters of greenish white flowers appear in late summer and are followed by black berries in fall.

Hedera canariensis

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Hedera canariensis

Native to Canary Islands, Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Shiny, rich green leaves 5 to 8 in.wide with three to five shallow lobes. Leaves are more widely spaced along stems than those of Hedera helix. This is a course-looking plant and an aggressive grower.