English ivy Araliaceae Hedera helix L. symbol: HEHE Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen and thickened, 2 to 4 inches long, shiny dark green to blue green above with pale veins and lighter green below; juvenile leaves are unlobed, leaves on flowering branches are lobed or unlobed and ovate. Flower: Perfect, small, greenish white, in round clusters; appearing in fall. Fruit: Round black drupes, 1/4 inch across; ripen over winter. Twig: Slender, light green but later turning light brown with aerial rootlets. Bark: Light brown slightly rough and finely scaly with numerous rootlets at the nodes. Form: A low spreading ground cover that can also climb high onto buildings and trees using aerial roots. Looks like: wintercreeper - Boston ivy Additional Range Information: Hedera helix is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting English ivy. More: Fall Color External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2014, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson