English Ivy By Aislinn

Where did English Ivy come from? English Ivy came from Europe to the United States in the early 1700's. It wildly grew and soon, became out of control. Some people keep the evasive species (a species that comes from another place and isn't native to that area) in their homes for decoration. English Ivy, whether being kept as a house plant or not, can usually be found in a lot of people's property due to the over-infestation of the plant.

What does it look like? English Ivy is a crawler-like plant that can be found most commonly on fences, trees, and house walls. If you look in your backyard, or on your street, you are most likely to find some English Ivy. But how do you know that it's English Ivy? Take a look at it's leaves. They usually are heart or star shaped, with jagged edges. The plant sometimes grows berries or flowers. If whatever you're looking at fits this description, it's most likely that you've found some English Ivy!

Where in the world can it be found? English Ivy can be found in a lot of countries all around the world. It is usually brought to those countries by people who strangely want it to grow in those countries. It has been introduced to South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, North America, and many other places. It is native to England, hence it's name.

Does it have any uses? One of English Ivy's most main uses is for decoration. Many people buy English Ivy and keep it in their house as a house plant. English Ivy is also a herb, and it's leaves can be used for medicine. It can relieve muscle spasms and joint pains, along with treating disorders of the liver, spleen, and gallbladder. It can also be used in certain kinds of tea.

How is it dangerous? English Ivy can prove itself to be quite harmful if it is in your garden. It grows so quickly by spreading runners which climb over other plants and literally destroy them. Not only can it be dangerous to the plants in your garden, it may start growing on your house walls and spread very fast. Ivy can grow up trees and strangle them at the trunk, not allowing nutrients to flow through the tree.

How can you prevent it? Preventing English Ivy can be simple – just don't grow it. If your garden or backyard already has English Ivy growing in it, there are a few ways of getting rid of it. One way is to pull the ivy out. At first, it will grow back, but eventually it will give up. Another way to kill or remove the ivy is to use poisons or pesticides, which will destroy the ivy quite easily in case you don't have to time to repeatedly pull the English Ivy out of the ground.

Fun Facts English Ivy's Latin name is Hedera Helix, which means: Old World vine with lobed evergreen leaves and black berrylike fruits. The berries that grow on English Ivy can be used for hair dyes, but I would suggest to not attempt dyeing your hair with them. Just for safety! English Ivy is poisonous, and should not be eaten.