English Ivy is a member of the Ginseng or Araliaceae family. It is a woody evergreen perennial vine. It holds its origin to the Atlantic Islands. The scientific name of the English Ivy is Hedera helix. L. It is a climbing vine so it grows as tall as the structure which supports it allows it to grow. The leaves of this English Ivy have the shape of a heart and they grow about the size of 11cm in length and 10 cm in width. The leaves are dark green in color and they have a waxy cuticle which is very thick. The difference in the leaves is noticeable during the flowering season. Though the English Ivy is a very beautiful plant it cannot be planted with the thought of protection against soil erosion in mind as the underground root system that is formed by the English Ivy plant is not extensive and the plant leaves those areas where other plants are growing.

The color of the fruit of the English Ivy is black and its 7-8 mm in diameter. The flowers form a terminal umbel and are greenish yellow in color. Though the English Ivy is unique, they are often mistaken for other local climbing vines like the wild grape, non-naïve cinnamon vine or the Dutchman’s pipe which are usually grown n the home gardens.

The English Ivy is not a fussy plant and can grow under any type of soil and weather conditions but it does not grow very well in shade and needs full sunlight. It goes through two stages of which one when it’s young and the other is when it becomes an adult plant. When the English Ivy is very young it is like a creeping vine. The rootlets sprout from the leaf nodes as the vines climb by attaching itself firmly to the structure it gets. The English Ivy does not strangle the plant to which it is attached and the rootlets are not parasitic in nature. As it becomes an adult the leaves become lighter in color .Greater amount of sunlight is required for it to flower well and in order to germinate, the seeds need to be scarified. The berries of the English Ivy are mild toxic and this is the reason it’s a favorite of birds.

The most effective way of controlling small types of attacks made by swarm of insects on the English Ivy plant is mulching. Mulching can also be done in areas where the herbicides cannot be used and to do this the whole area that is infected should be covered with mulch up to several inches. After the mulch has been added it should be allowed to stay in place for a minimum of two growing seasons and it also may be need to be augmented many times. The other methods to keep the English Ivy plant healthy are cutting and grubbing. The climbing or trailing vines should be cut very close to the root collar and this type of treatment is the best for areas which have very less population of the plant and where insecticides cannot be used. Grubbing is the best option for plants that are very sensitive to the environment and also where herbicides cannot be used.