To provide shade covering metal or wooden structures, to cover not very pretty walls, to cover embankments helping to fix the earth and preventing it from falling, or simply to decorate. The evergreen climbers will brighten up our garden, providing a pleasant coolness in summer, without forgetting the beautiful flowers of some varieties. And in winter they will continue to make you happy, which is welcome at a time when many plants and trees lose their leaves, leaving the garden very bare.
Do you want to know more about ivy, a climbing plant for the whole year? Then keep reading this article where you will find curious details about it.
Curiosities and care of climbing ivy
Ivy is the main perennial climber, because of how attractive it is, how quickly it grows, and how little care it requires. Some of the most commonly used ivy varieties are:
The common ivy or Hedera Helix, which is one that is usually found in the peninsular forests. Its leaves are dark green. It is very resistant: it withstands temperatures below zero, although it does not like summer much and less if it is located in full sun, in which case it will be convenient to water the leaves in the late afternoon (so that the sun does not burn them). Likes limestone soils. The walls it covers must be checked regularly since when the ivy is very old the stems are very woody and strong; Twigs can also get into the cracks in the wall, cracking it, although I have seen very old ivy covering walls that, despite the time they have been covered, hold up in perfect condition. It reproduces by cuttings that have aerial roots.
There are other varieties of ivy :
- Canary (or nuanced) ivy or Hedera canariensis . Unlike common ivy, this one grows in full sun, but does not withstand low temperatures well; not for nothing is it native to Africa and the Canary Islands.
- Persian ivy or Hedera colchica . It stands out for its huge leaves, a span long, green or with yellow areas. It grows in full sun or in semi-shade. It needs less water than its relatives. Like the Canarian, it does not like frost either.
