Ground-ivy is common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, and it is also found in many other European countries, including Slovenia, and in southwest Asia. Ground Ivy. Ground ivy is toxic to horses if they consume a large amount of fresh material or hay (Kingsbury, 1964; Vanselow and Brendieck-Worm, 2012). Ground Ivy Description. As invasive ground covers, these species thrive in disturbed areas and prefer shady or semi-shady areas. It is a member of the mint family. Serving up two invasives with a side of one valuable native: The ground ivy and Bradford pear seedlings were enough to make me want to throw in the trowel. How and exactly when it was distributed is not known. Ground-ivy is a perennial common in hedge banks and found at times as a weed in arable crops and on the margins of arable fields. Worldwide distribution: Native to Europe and south-western Asia. This perennial, creeping herb is native to Europe and western Asia and can also now be found in North America. Other Names: Ground-Ivy, Alehoof, Gill-Over-The-Ground, Creeping Charlie, Haymaids, Tunhoof, Hedgemaids & Catsfoot. Habitat: Woodland, hedgerow, parks and gardens. While it concentrates in the deciduous and … Although some people refer to the Algerian ivy as the Canary ivy, the Canarian ivy is its own species. We moved a few of the seedlings into more sunlight and surrounded the remaining ones with newspaper and leaves so they’d have room to grow. It grows to around 15cm in height and can form dense carpets on the ground. Since then, ground ivy has escaped cultivation and spread to a variety of native plant communities throughout the United States. Now, it has proliferated into a hard-to-kill lawn weed. What Is Creeping Charlie? Until the widespread use of hops in the 17th century, creeping Charlie was used regularly in beer and was known commonly as "ale ivy." Native to the Near East, the Persian Ivy, or Hedera colchica, grows best in zones 6-9, although it sometimes grows in zone 10 if it is protected from the hot sun. The botanical name for ivy referred to on this page is Hedera and it includes the native climber English ivy (Hedera helix). Common invasive ground covers (periwinkle, English ivy and goutweed) are found throughout various areas of North America. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) Native Year-round. Alternatives. Native to Europe, creeping Charlie was introduced to North America in the 1800s as both an ornamental and a medicinal plant. Ivy is one of our most familiar plants, seen climbing up trees, walls, and along the ground, almost anywhere. Overview; Gallery; Names; Classification; Records; Literature; Sequences; Data Partners + Online Resources. Like Hedera helix, it may become invasive. The ivy if allowed to climb will seed to be distributed by wildlife; it also overtakes and weakens the trees while its ground cover habit also prevents the growth of the native species and regeneration of the forest. What is Ground Ivy? Ground-ivy is not a North American native, but after its introduction from Europe and southwestern Asia, it has become widespread. Leaves kidney shaped to almost heart shaped, coarsely toothed and long stalked. Gound Ivy moved west and was naturalized in Indiana by 1856 and Colorado by 1906. More than 140 species of insect and 17 species of bird feed on ivy in Britain, and countless others appreciate its evergreen shelter. Like other plants that are categorized as invasive, the English ivy (Hedera helix), without the checks and balances of its native environment, becomes a destructive force in nature. It is found throughout the UK and is most abundant on sites with bare ground particularly on heavy and calcareous soils. It is a great provider of food and shelter for all kinds of animals, from butterflies to bats. In its native environment, and also where it has become naturalised, G. hederacea tends to be a plant of shaded habitats, including woodlands, hedgerows, shady roadsides, clear-felled and coppiced woodlands, scrub, derelict woodlands and orchards. Ground Ivy, once known as Nepeta glechoma and Nepeta hederacea in the Catnip genus, is a native of Europe and southern Asia. Flowering stems ascending to erect. Persian Ivy. The Canarian ivy (Hedera canariensis) is a woody bush-type of ivy plant that is native to North Africa and the Canary Islands. Please review all of your articles and ensure that you are not propogating invasive plants. It will smother other plants as it crawls over the ground and forms a dense cover. Ground ivy is a creeping European perennial evergreen, naturalized in North America and found in moist shady areas, along paths, around hedges, and roadsides from Ontario to deep south, west to Kansas, and along the Pacific Coast. English ivy (Hedera helix) rapidly invades forests smothering and displace native understory flora. There is no doubt that the notorious English Ivy, Vinca, Yellow Archangel, and Japanese Pachysandra cover the ground thoroughly and have the added appeal of being easy and inexpensive to install - small numbers of plants will quickly fill in a large area. Ground-ivy is typically a plant of shaded areas and is native in woods, grassland and waste places usually in damper, heavier soils. Using ivy in holiday decorations, though, is a custom that goes back all the way to Roman times. Habitat. English Ivy is very time consuming to control and harmful to forest and riparian areas. Ground Ivy, once known as Nepeta glechoma and Nepeta hederacea in the Catnip genus, is a native of Europe and southern Asia.It was introduced into North America by 1672, probably earlier, for medicinal uses. Habitat Top of page. This plant works well as ground cover in small areas or as a bedding plant, as the vines reach a maximum length of 3 feet and therefore aren’t best suited for use as a climbing plant. Ivy was associated with Bacchus – the Roman god of revelry and good times (Grieve, 1931). By Lynne Pieri-Finn, Fairfax Master Gardener Intern Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a perennial, evergreen broadleaf weed. Invasive species in North America. Ivy is a woody stemmed, self-clinging climber that can grow quickly into the canopy of a tree. Ground-ivy species Accepted Name authority: UKSI Establishment means: Native. People can benefit from ivies too: their ‘ecosystem services’ are becoming increasingly recognised. Identification: Ground-ivy has round or kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, ⅜-1¼" (9.5-31 mm) in diameter, attached in opposing pairs to a stem that is roughly square in cross-section. Sometimes, ivy is used as a greenery decoration during the holidays, and an old Christmas carol “The Holly and The Ivy,” even bears the plant in its title. A Tachinid Fly (Acemya tibialis) Native Year-round ; 1 of 196 ›› TTT . Ground-ivy substrate requirements have been studied extensively in parts of its native range. Depending on their surroundings, these woody plants can be both ground creeping or climbing nearby trees, rocks, buildings, and pretty much anything they can lay their stems on. Native ivy that is allowed to spread over the ground, where it may usefully smother weeds, can only be allowed a free rein in the wildest gardens. 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