# Is this an Ivy ?



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Everything that photo is Hedera (Ivy). The ones I have seen flowering are the larger leaved ones on the left and middle. The one on the right I typically see in the garden centers in little pots and was not aware that it was winter hardy, but maybe it is in your area. I believe those fancy leaved ones are cultivars of the original wild Hedera helix and I've not seen them blooming, but my only experience with them is on topiary statues where any blooms would be rigorously pruned away.


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks Ruth - much appreciated.

Armed with that knowledge, I've been ferreting around further and it seems that ivy leaf-shape varies quite a bit. Hedera Hibernica (Irish Ivy) even has heart-shape leaves, rather than variations on the classic Maple-shape.

I've even found a plausible explanation for why there aren't any clumps of rootlets on the stems/branches on this particular flowering ivy. Apparently some types of ivy have two distinct growing phases: the first (juvenile) stage is pretty-much the same as any other creeping/climbing ivy, but as it enters the second (adult) phase it effectively turns into a bush - which is why so many landscape gardeners like these types - and in this adult bush form the stems/branches cease to have roots attached. Mystery solved.

Now my logic says that if a plant no longer has any means of expanding by spreading and re-rooting (as with 'normal' ivies) the only means of propagating itself is to generate flowers to form seeds for dispersal. So - hopefully - this particular type of 'bush' ivy will be more willing to produce flowers ...  Fingers crossed.

Thanks again
LJ


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

LJ I have always read it was the English ivy that our bees foraged on, The flowers look similar to the flowers in the bottom of your picture. It grows wild in some forest behind my property climbing up a lot of the big trees, however like many species some years you may get quite a lot of nectar from it but other years not so much.
Johno


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## Kuro (Jun 18, 2015)

little_john said:


> ... Apparently some types of ivy have two distinct growing phases: the first (juvenile) stage is pretty-much the same as any other creeping/climbing ivy, but as it enters the second (adult) phase it effectively turns into a bush -


Yes, that’s what I see in my neighborhood, where English ivy grows everywhere, creeping without flowers (with lobed leaves) or climbing with flowers (with leaves in somewhat elongated shape). Many homeowners use ivy plants as ground covers and mow them, but some use them to cover garden fences or let them climb dead tree stumps so that they can flower. During early - mid October I can smell ivy flowers in woodlands, and more strongly around my hives.


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Wow - that is beautiful !! Wish I could get my reluctant/pathetic ivy to flower like that ...

At least I now know what flowing ivy looks like, so I've got a target to aim towards - much appreciated.

A very envious LJ


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

LJ, location location location, I wish the stuff growing around here flowered like that.
Johno


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Hi Johno - ivy appears to be really weird stuff - I've been listening to guys for ages talking about Ivy honey, how useful it is for topping-up winter stores, it's crystallisation and so on ... But I've never seen so much as a single flower on mine.

Half a dozen bushes within range like the example in that excellent photograph would make all the difference. 
LJ


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

I live a few of miles south of Kuro and we have ivy like his that climb up the fir trees for over 100 feet. On a good day, you can hear the trees buzzing. The ivy not only gives a fair amount of nectar just in time for winter, they produce massive amounts of pollen too. They are considered a noxious weed here but so are blackberries and knotweed. I believe that everything beekeepers like for making honey is a noxious weed in Washington State.


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## VickyLynn (Jun 20, 2011)

I was walking in Bled, Slovenia and came across a wall of flowering ivy - actually, I heard the buzzing before I reached it, there were so many bees on it. My plan was to plant some when I got home for fall forage. Upon research and talking to Slovenians though, I discovered that ivy nectar crystallized within a few weeks, like two, in the frame, not to mention once it was extracted. Because of that, I abandoned my quest for ivy. I don't want crystallized honey for winter bee food.


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