Hedera helix L.

Spice Flowers Fruit Leaves In the field

Family: ARALIACEAE

Genus: Hedera

Catalan common name: Heura.

Spanish common name: Hiedra.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Medicinal.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Phanerophyte.

Habitats: Oakforest. Rock crevices and cliff faces. Garden plants. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches).

Characteristics: English ivy is a creeping plant which climbs up other plants (e.g. the palm trees in gardens) or, more often, up rocky wall faces. It can also be found stretched out along the ground of holm-oak woods. It forms small roots on the branches which it uses to cling to its support. The leaves near the fertile branches are rhomboidal, whereas the ones on the rest of the plant have typical palmate lobules. It flowers at the end of summer and autumn. There are domestic varieties given its extensive use in gardening.