What is ivy?

1.What is it?

Ivy is an evergreen clinging vine. The stems and branches have aerial roots, and the young branches are covered with scaly soft hairs. The leaves are alternate, two-lobed, 10 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, gradually pointed at the apex, cuneate at the base, entire or 3 shallowly lobed; the leaves on the flower branches are elliptic-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, 5-12 cm long, 1-8 cm wide, long-pointed at the apex, cuneate at the base, and entire. Umbel solitary or 2 to 7 terminal; flowers small, yellow-white or green-white, 5-flowered; ovary inferior, styles fused into a column. The fruit is spherical, berry-like, yellow or red. The flowering period is from May to August, and the fruiting period is from September to November. Attached to tree trunks in broad-leaved forests or on damp rock walls in valleys. It is produced in Shaanxi, Gansu and south of the Yellow River basin to South and Southwest China.

2. Common varieties

Chinese ivy: The old branches of Chinese ivy are grayish white, the young branches are light green, covered with scaly soft hairs, and there are aerial roots on the branches. The leaves are leathery, dark green, and have long petioles. The leaves on the nutrient branches are triangular-ovate, entire or three-lobed; the leaves on the flowering branches are ovate to rhombic. It blooms from September to November. The flowers are small, light green and white, with a slight fragrance. The drupe is spherical, orange-yellow in color, and matures in April or May of the following year.

Japanese ivy: Japanese ivy, evergreen vine. The leaves are hard, dark green and shiny. The leaves of the nutrient branches are broadly ovate and often three-lobed; the leaves of the reproductive branches are ovate-lanceolate or ovate-rhombus. Terminal umbel, yellow-green. The fruit turns black when ripe. Native to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Golden Heart Ivy: Golden Heart Ivy is a horticultural variety in the ivy family. It has three lobes in the middle, a tender yellow center, and high ornamental value.

Ivy: An evergreen vine with stems up to 30 meters long and leaves 10 centimeters long, often 3 to 5 lobed. The leaves of the flowering branches are generally entire. The leaf surface is dark green, the back of the leaf is light green, the pedicels and young stems have grayish-white star-shaped hairs, and the fruit is black.

Canadian Ivy: Evergreen climbing vine with stems climbing upwards and covered with stellate hairs. The leaves are ovate, heart-shaped at the base, 5 to 25 cm long, 10 to 15 cm wide, entire, light green, with 3 to 7 lobes at the lower leaves, in racemes or panicles, and black fruits.

Leather-leaf ivy: an evergreen shrub with leaves 10 to 12 cm long, 10 cm wide, broadly ovate, entire, lower leaves occasionally 3-lobed, leathery, green, shiny, and with large fruits.

Silver-edged ivy: an evergreen climbing shrub cultivated in Hubei.

Crimean Ivy: Leaves are lanceolate, 3-lobed, bright green, with obvious veins.

Ice Ivy: The stem nodes are short and the leaflets are densely grown. The leaves are small, 3 to 4 cm long and 2 to 3 cm wide, green with milky white to yellow-green markings.

Swedish ivy: Although it is called Swedish ivy, it is native to Australia. The leaves of this flower are oval and have semicircular serrations on the edges. The leaves are thick and shiny, yellow-green on the surface and purple on the back. The stems and branches are often square and covered with soft hairs.

3. Application

Ornamental value: The leaf color and shape of ivy vary greatly. It is evergreen all year round and is a beautiful climbing plant that can be used for vertical greening of trellises or walls. It is also suitable for indoor potted cultivation and is also a very good indoor foliage plant. It can be used as potted plants, hanging baskets, totems, plastic plants, etc. Ivy is also a good material for cut flowers. In addition, it is a good ground cover material when planted with other plants.

Purify the air: Ivy is currently the most effective indoor plant for absorbing formaldehyde. Each square meter of ivy leaves can absorb 1.48 mg of formaldehyde. The total leaf area of ​​two pots of adult ivy is about 0.78 square meters. At the same time, ivy can also absorb toxic and harmful substances such as benzene. Under 24-hour light conditions, it can absorb 90% of benzene in the room. It is speculated that in a 10-square-meter room, only 2-3 pots of ivy are needed to purify the air, and it can also absorb dust particles.

4. Meaning

Ivy - united love, fidelity, friendship, affection. Ivy was once considered a magical plant and a symbol of loyalty. In Greek mythology, ivy represents the god of wine: Dionysus, and has the symbolic meaning of joy and vitality. It also symbolizes immortality and eternal youth.

Ivy - Friendship, marriage, never separate. Ivy is a very beautiful evergreen vine that indicates that spring will last forever, so it has a beautiful name "ivy" and is deeply loved by people. Giving ivy to friends means the tree of friendship will remain evergreen. If a friend is getting married, the beautiful ivy must be included in the bouquet for the bride. I wish you a happy marriage and a long life together.

Ivy is the birthday flower for April 8, and its flower language is influence. Before the hops were adopted in England in the 16th century, ivy was used to make beer because mixing it with wheat would turn the wheat into beer. Therefore, the flower language of ivy is - influence. Anyone born under the blessing of this flower has great influence and can affect others. Perhaps you are suitable to be a politician or entrepreneur? It also has a great influence on lovers, and can subtly influence the other person to become the type that the lover likes.