Subject: Re: Equal Time for Ivy

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Feb 1995 20:51:33 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Linda M. French,
[email-masked] writes:
>on both sides.  Does anyone know where the adult,
>arborescent form of Hedera helix (common ivy)
>can be seen or purchased?  If you haven't heard of

I've seen it in a garden featured on _Canadian Gardener_ (a TV show, for
those of you who don't live in or near Canada).  It is amazing how the
leaves are a completely different form.  By the way, the lady with the
garden seemed to like her ivy a lot.  Maybe it isn't that much of a
problem in more northern areas.                      								  Sue Sanders

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From: Paula M Craft <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 16:29:31 -0700

I got the impression the adult arborescent form was simply a growing 
condition owing to being unable to climb further, I'm not sure it can be 
purchased in that form.  I have some climbing though and the article 
tempts me to put some in an area where it's climb will be limited to see 
what happens.  I believe from previous visits that you could possibly 
find the adult form at Winterthur.

- Paula M. Craft

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From: Paula M Craft <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 16:29:31 -0700

- Paula M. Craft

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From: "Sean A. O'Hara" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 95 11:46:59 PDT

> From: [email-masked] (Linda M. French)
> Subject: Re: Equal Time for Ivy
> Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 16:56:11 GMT
> Having started this thread, I was pleased to see 
> Charles Elliott's article "The Ivy Debate:  is
> this vine a friend or foe?" in the March issue of
> Horticulture.  Obviously there are strong feelings
> this before, it's described in the Horticulture
> article, or write me for more information.
> 
> Linda French
> Westwood, MA 
> zone 6

Linda - 

I can find no specific reference as to a source for an arborescent form of
Hedera helix in my plant database, but people often propogate these plants
themselves (very easy).  Any older ivy, either H. helix or some of the
other, larger forms we have out here in the mild west, evntually start
putting out the flowering branches.  These are characterized by upright
growth, narrower leaves or leaves with fewer lobes, and of course, rounded
heads of insignificant flowers followed by round green/black berries.

Taking a cutting from this 'mature' growth will usually result in an
arborescent 'form' - upright & shrubby rather than vining.  Sometimes I see
these types of ivy plants growing up out of ground cover plantings - which
would mean that the cutting used to create the groundcover were taken from
'mature' shoots.  Any Hedera helix cultivar will eventually, if allowed to
grow large enough on a wall or tree support, will produce this type of
growth.  Look around your area for mature plants as a source for cuttings.

There is also an upright, non-mature cultivar - I think it is called H. h.
'Erecta'.  It has upright stems clothed in tiny leaves densly packed
together - really unusual.  I have not been able to find a source for this
plant but it is not that uncommon.
 
 H O R T U L U S   A P T U S  ('gardens', 'suited to their purpose')
 Sean A. O'Hara
 710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA  94610-1459        [email-masked]
 (510) 987-0577