Hedera helix; 'Ivy'

English ivy is an evergreen perennial climbing vine, which attaches itself to walls of the bark of trees it does this by aerial rootlets which have matted pads that attach it to surfaces. These aerial rootlets are specialised roots which suck moisture out of the plants climber.

Ivy can grow up to 30 meters high but also can grow on horizontal surfaces and is happy to cover the floor as well as growing upwards.

Ivy can be known as a pest which often invades woodlands and can smother the woodland floor, trees and canopy. In extreme cases can kill plants by out competing light of its tree host.

The leaves of the young ivy are palmately lobed with often 5 lobed parts, and then the older leaves are unlobed and normally higher of the ground.

Ivy can’t grow in the extremes of wet and dry conditions or extremely acid soils, apart from these conditions ivy is able to grow in most areas.

This Ivy was found in All saints park and was growing around the base of a London plain, it was starting to grow up the base.