Ivy is any one of a large number of creeping or climbing vines. These vines have different botanical names, and the word ivy, as commonly used, does not belong to any one plant. It often applies to climbing vines, especially to those that are ornamental.
English, or common, ivy
is the attractive plant commonly seen climbing over walls and tree trunks in Europe and North America. Its waxy leaves usually have five points, or angles. They are dark green all year, but sometimes have a bronze color in the fall and winter. English ivy also bears tiny flowers. This ivy clings to smooth surfaces with the fine roots on its stems. It does not grow well in the bright sun of the central, southern, and western United States. But in shady locations, it can be grown as far north as Ontario, Canada. It makes an excellent covering for buildings. Its leaves and berries are poisonous.
Boston, or Japanese, ivy
is the climbing vine often found covering the shady sides of buildings like a lovely green carpet. It usually grows in the eastern United States, and in Asia and Europe. The covering is made of many overlapping leaves, each with three points. Each fall, the leaves turn red and are shed. Boston ivy belongs to the same genus as the Virginia creeper.
Ground ivy
is also called gill-over-the-ground. It was brought to North America from Europe. This trailing, fragrant plant has creeping stems that form thick masses of leaves wherever they get a foothold. Its leaves are rounded with coarse edges, and its tube-shaped flowers are purple or blue. The ground ivy was formerly used in making ale and cough medicine. It has also been popular with some landscape gardeners, though it can be a troublesome weed in North America.
Poison ivy and Virginia creeper.
These two plants look somewhat the same, though they belong to different families. They are both American vines and often grow in the same locality. It is easy to confuse the two. The leaves of the Virginia creeper, however, are made up of five leaflets, while those of poison ivy have only three. Poison ivy leaves are covered with an oil that often causes itching and blisters on the skin of people who touch them. This oil also may be brushed onto the clothing of people coming in contact with poison ivy plants. The leaves are red in early spring and shiny green from late spring through summer. They turn red or orange in the autumn. Virginia creeper is harmless.
