SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT AND SOME PEOPLE HATE IT

Ivy. Some people love it and some people hate it. I am definitely a lover. 

I never really gave ivy much attention, apart from listening to others moan about how it ruins their house and gets everywhere. However, since researching ivy, there have been many interesting facts that I feel I just have to share, which explain my new found love for ivy.

The tropics... 
Ivy, or as it is also know Hedera Helix, is known for being apart of the botanical family of plants called Araliaceae, and is the only plants from this family in the United Kingdom. These kind of plants are normally found in the tropics. 

Dimorphic...

Ivy is dimorphic. This means that there are two different forms of the same plant. For instance, the leaves in image on the left are young leaves and are quite able to exist in the shade,  which is why you can find it covering the ground in the woods. The leaves in the image on the right are older leaves,  not all ivy leaves turn into mature leaves. These only really form if there is a lot of light, so at the top of trees. This is where they will produce either flowers or berries, depending on what time of year it is.  

Binding... 

When ivy climbs, for example up a tree, the ivy's roots change shape and arrange themselves differently so they have a larger surface area for binding to the tree and so that they fit into the structure of the trees surface. These small roots are called aerial roots. Once these roots have fit themselves into the tree surface, the ivy then produces a glue to secure itself to the tree. The roots then become dry and twist and turn so that the roots do not match the structure of the tree. At the tip of the root, it grows a hook which locks the root to the tree.  

What is ivy good for?  

• It can be a habitat. 
• Birds can eat the berries. 
• Bee and butterflies can get pollen from the flowers. 
• Insects, birds and mammals can use it for shelter.  
• Human can use it as a herbal medicine.

References: 

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/flora-and-fauna/common-ivy-hedera-helix/  

http://www.hellistreeconsultants.co.uk/kbi1000030_ivy_on_trees_good_bad_or_indifferent.html  

http://hikersnotebook.net/English+Ivy   

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-flowers/white-flowers/ivy-hedera-helix/  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8701000/8701358.stm  
http://www.druidry.org/library/trees/tree-lore-ivy