The common ivy (Hedera Helix), whilst not a tree, is a sacred plant revered of old by the ancients as much as it is today by contemporaries. Its most common association is with the Holly tree, the “Holly and the Ivy” being used extensively worldwide as a Yuletide decoration.

Ivy is a wild evergreen climbing vine that attaches itself to the bark of trees, brickwork and other surfaces. It climbs by means of curious fibers that grow out from every part of the stem. These fibres resemble roots and have small disks at the end by which it attaches itself to the roughness of the bark or wall against which it grows and clings. On meeting with soil or deep crevices, these fibers become true roots obtaining nourishment for its stem. The Ivy is therefore liable to injure the trees around which it twines by abstracting the tree's life resources to feed its own.

The leaves of the ivy come in many different shapes and sizes, the most common being a 3-lobed leaf with a heart-shaped base. Leaves of the mature plant are often un-lobed, oval and have wedge-shaped bases. The leaves are arranged alternately along its stem and are dark green in colour, shiny with a leathery texture. When the plant is young it will climb and trail, and on reaching the summit of its support will start to grow outwards forming into a bush, the leaves at the top changing shape. The broad leaves being evergreen offer shelter to birds in the winter, and many prefer ivy to other shrubs in which to build their nests.


Ivy only produces flowers when the branches get above their support. The flowering branches are bushy and project out from the climbing stem with flowers at the end of each shoot. The flowers normally come out in the autumn if sufficient sunlight is available, and appear as small umbrella-like clusters of a greenish-white or yellow. They often continue to flower until late in December and while they have little or no scent, they yield an abundance of nectar and afford food to bees late in the autumn when they can get no other.

The fruit or berries of the ivy do not become ripe till the following spring, but nevertheless provide a valuable source of food for many birds during severe winters. When ripe, the berries are about the size of peas, black or deep purple in colour and contain two to five seeds. They have a bitter and nauseous taste and when rubbed have an aromatic and slightly resinous odour.

Of old, ivy leaves were recommended for cattle food and although cows did not like them, sheep and deer will sometimes eat them in the winter. Turners in Southern Europe used the wood of the ivy after it attained a sufficient size but being very soft it was seldom used in England except for whetting the knives of leather dressers. The wood is very porous and the ancients thought it had the property of separating wine from water by filtration. However they soon realized that the wood absorbed its colour and the wine lost some of its flavour, so they stopped using it. On the continent it has sometimes been used in thin slices as a filter.



The ivy's greatest value is as an ornamental covering for unsightly buildings and is said to be the only plant that does not make walls damp. By the way they fall, the leaves act as a curtain and form a sort of armour holding and absorbing the rain and moisture. Ivy is a very hardy plant and can withstand the severest of winters and frost; they also suffer little from smoke or the polluted air of manufacturing towns. The plant can live to a considerable age by which time its stem becomes woody and attains a fair size. Ivy trunks of a foot in diameter can be found where it has been left undisturbed for many years to grow and climb over rocks and ruins.

There is a darker side to the ivy however, for left to grow unchecked it becomes an aggressive invader that threatens all vegetation levels of forested and open areas. Iit can also grow along the ground as well as up into the forest canopy. The dense growth and abundant leaves of the ivy form a thick canopy just above the ground that prevents sunlight from reaching other plants. Similarly the vines climbing up tree trunks spread out and surround branches and twigs, preventing most of the sunlight from reaching the leaves of the host tree. The loss of vigour in the host tree becomes evident within a few years, and is followed by death a few years later. The added weight of vines makes infested trees susceptible to blowing over during storms. Ivy also serves as a reservoir for bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), a plant pathogen that is harmful to native trees such as elms, oaks and maples.
Ivy reproduces vegetatively and by seed, which is dispersed to new areas primarily by birds such as sparrows, starlings and robins. New plants grow easily from cuttings or from stems making contact with the soil.

Mythology and folklore :
Ivy was in high esteem among the ancients and its leaves formed the poet's crown. The ivy was dedicated to the Roman god Bacchus , the God of Intoxication who is often depicted wearing a wreath of ivy and grapevines. He is also depicted holding a chalice and carrying a thyrsus (a wand) which was also entwined with ivy and vine leaves. Ivy leaves were thought to prevent intoxication and the binding of the brow with ivy was seen as a counterbalance to the vine. Old writers tell us that the effects of intoxication by wine are removed if a handful of ivy leaves are bruised and gently boiled in wine and drunk. In former days old English taverns bore a sign of an ivy bush over their doors, this to indicate the excellence of the liquor supplied within, hence the old saying “A good wine needs no bush”.

Throughout the ages ivy has been regarded as the emblem of fidelity, and of old, Greek priests would present a wreath of ivy to newly married persons. Today the ivy is still commonly associated with weddings, and is carried or worn by bridesmaids. The custom of decorating houses and churches with ivy at Christmas was once forbidden by the Christian Church, on account of its pagan associations.