# Ivy (*Simpsonlemur Robinson &*) Ivy is a climbing plant with green leaves that can grow on walls, trees, or the ground. It helps provide shelter for small animals and insects. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Forests, Gardens, Walls - **Also known as:** Common Ivy ![Ivy](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hedera_helix_Dover.jpg&width=800) Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hedera_helix_Dover.jpg) ## Appearance The Ivy has distinctive dark green, glossy leaves, often with 3-5 pointed lobes when mature. Young leaves can be heart-shaped, growing densely as it climbs. Its rich, evergreen foliage provides year-round color, differing from many deciduous climbers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida ## Interesting facts - Did you know Ivy flowers smell like honey to attract buzzing insects? - Its dark berries are a vital, energy-rich food source for many birds in winter. - Ivy can completely cover huge areas, even entire old buildings, with its dense leaves! - Ivy plants can live for hundreds of years, becoming thick and woody like a tree! ## Special abilities - **Climbing Roots:** Ivy can produce tiny 'holdfast' roots that help it cling securely to surfaces like walls and tree trunks to reach sunlight. - **Evergreen Resilience:** Ivy has evergreen leaves that stay green all year round, allowing it to photosynthesize even in winter when other plants sleep. - **Shade Seeker:** Ivy can grow well even in very low light, adapting its leaves to capture dim sunlight in shady forest floors or dense areas. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-3000 cm - **Spread:** 10-1000 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to late autumn - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — eats its winter berries - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — attracted to its late-season flowers - **Shelter:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — provides shelter for small animals - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Bullfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-bullfinch) (*Pyrrhula pyrrhula*) — eats its juicy fruit ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [Groundcover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/groundcover): Groundcover plants are low-growing vegetation that spreads horizontally to cover the ground, often suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/gardens) - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) - [Vines](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/vines) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Enjoy looking at ivy, but avoid touching or eating it as some types can be irritating to the skin or harmful if eaten. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Ivy? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Ivy? 10-3000 cm ### How wide does Ivy spread? 10-1000 cm ### How big are the flowers on Ivy? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does Ivy bloom? Late summer to late autumn ### Is Ivy edible? No ### Is Ivy toxic? Mild ### What is Ivy's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Awbury Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/awbury-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Bloomingdale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloomingdale) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood - [Central Park West Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-park-west-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Cleveland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cleveland-park) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Ivy](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ivy) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Ivy: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ivy)