MAIRZY DOATS ...

JUVENILE FOLIAGE            MATURE WITH BERRIES

     ENGLISH IVY, Hedera helix is much more successful as a groundcover than as a climbing vine, at least in these parts. Other than some Euonymus it is the only evergreen that will clad a wall. Should you fancy your home as being stately or you are recalling the halls of Academe, you'll have to wait awhile.
   The vine needs to be established for a number of years and have developed a substantial root system before it ventures aloft to face the rigours of winter.
    If you have such long-term plans, it should be a very hardy cultivar such as 'Thorndale's'. The way I heard the story was that the City of Chicago, famous for cold winters, experienced an even more severe season in 1918. That was the year when all of the English Ivy died; except the ones at Mr.Thorndale's place. Smart nurserymen took note; so the English Ivy that you buy in Ontario today will likely be clones of that original Chicago survivor.
   Nevertheless, Even 'Thorndale's' English Ivy is at the northern limit of its' range in Toronto and evergreen walls are not a notable feature of our urban landscape. Due to die back in repeated winters the vine is most unlikely to ever produce flowers and fruit.In which case any question of toxicity is moot.
   Lorne Fast, Curator of Collections at Niagara Park's Botanical Garden and instructor at the School of Horticulture tells me that among a number of old plantings, the one in the Woodland Garden has been known to flower.
   It's a mystery why it is Hedera helix, it does not grow in a helical or spiral manner. Once that it decides to climb, it clings to the wall with root-fasts and heads straight up. In places where it grows well ( all commerce in the plant is banned in the State of Oregon ) there is a remarkable change to its' habit and appearance at maturity.
   Apparently aware that it has reached the top of the structure and finding nothing more to hold fast to, the new stems do not produce hold-fasts and the leaf shape changes from being five-lobed to plain unlobed with a pointed tip. These stems now hang away from the wall and produce clusters of nectar-rich small greenish yellow flowers and subsequently tiny berries with a few seeds. Should you wish to observe this botanical phenomenon you will have to be agile and quick. When it is in flower you must be comfortable with bees and to collect any fruit you must get there ahead of the sparrows.
   In my next posting I hope to explain why anyone would fear a harmless plant. Perhaps we can get such folk to lighten up and not take such a jaundiced look at things botanical.
   Altogether now. " Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey.
A kiddley divey too. Wouldn't you."