Canary ivy

Canary ivy

Hedera canariensis

Common Name:

Canary ivy

Scientific Name:

Hedera canariensis


Alternative common names:

Madeiraklimop (Afrikaans).

Description:

This evergreen perennial can climb up to 10m high by means of rootlets on the stems, or it can spread over the ground to form a carpet. The leaves are green, sometimes with broad silvery-grey or white edges, and glossy when new, becoming leathery with age. The hairs on juvenile leaves are reddish. The flowers are green in terminal, globular umbels, but seldom appear. Fruits are drupes, which are black when ripe.

Additional Information


Where does this species come from?

Europe.

What is its invasive status in South Africa?

NEMBA Category 3

Where in South Africa is it a problem?

KwaZulu-Natal.

How does it spread?

The seeds are dispersed by birds, which eat the berries.

Why is it a problem?

It invades urban open spaces, stream banks and wooded areas, and all parts of the plant are poisonous.

What does it look like?

Leaves: Leaves are bright to dark green, sometimes with broad silvery-grey or white edges, and glossy when new, becoming leathery with age. They are mostly wider than they are long, unlobed to shallowly three-lobed. The hairs on juvenile leaves are reddish.

Flowers: Flowers are green in terminal, globular umbels, but seldom appear. When they do it is from March to July.

Fruit/seeds: Fruits are drupes, which are black when ripe.

Does the plant have any uses?

Cultivated as an ornamental and as a ground cover.

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