NOTES ON THE EVERGREEN IVY. 



253 



its appearance by a plentiful planting of 

 evergreen ivy. But to make our essay on 

 this, our favorite climber, more complete, 

 let us begin at the beginning, — taking 

 some of our facts from writers who have 

 anticipated us. 



The hardy sorts are evergreen shrubs, 

 climbing by the clasping roots produced by 

 their stems; but there are a number of 

 species considered at present to be of this 

 genus, natives of warm climates, growing 

 to the height of from 15 to 20 feet, without 

 support. It is naturally a rooting climber ; 

 but when these roots are opposed by a hard 

 substance which they cannot penetrate, they 

 dilate and attach themselves to it, by close 

 pressure on the rough particles of its sur- 

 face. On very smooth surfaces, such as 

 that of a house or wall that has been stuc- 

 coed, or smoothly plastered, no dilatation of 

 the fibril is sufficient to cause the ivy to 

 adhere firmly ; and hence, in such situa- 

 tions it always falls down, either when 

 rendered heavy by snow, or when acted on 

 by wind. In some cases we have known, 

 young plants required to be steadied in 

 order to make a commencement ; and in 

 such circumstances we have found it ad- 

 vantageous to nail a little cloth beneath, 

 and attach the ivy to it by a small nailed 

 strap. In instances where it refuses to 

 cling after this attempt, trellis work ought 

 to be fixed, or the main shoots may be 

 nailed, like those of a wall tree. When 

 ivy trails on the ground, it roots into it and 

 grows vigorously, but rarely flowers, and 

 is then called barren, or creeping ivy. 

 When it climbs up trees, or in any situa- 

 tion where it is much shaded, it seldom, if 

 ever flowers, until it has grown so high as 

 to be subject to the direct influence of the 

 sun. On walls fully exposed to the light, 

 it flowers abundantly. Whatever support 

 it may have, when it has reached the sum- 



mit, the branches shorten and become 

 woody, forming themselves into large, 

 shrubby, bushy heads ; and the leaves be- 

 come entire, taking more of an oval shape, 

 and no longer being lobed, like the lower 

 ones. It now flowers freely, when other 

 flowers are scarce ; and being odoriferous, 

 and containing a good deal of honey, they 

 are much frequented by bees, which ex 

 tract a valuable support from them. The 

 berries increase in size during the winter 

 and the plant itself may be observed to 

 shoot vigorously during the cold weather. 



The common ivy will grow to the tops 

 of trees nearly 100 feet in height ; but it 

 is said to be doubtful whether the Irish va- 

 riety will attain the same elevation, though 

 it grows with much greater vigor when 

 young. Rooted plants, placed in good soil, 

 have grown in our neighborhood four and 

 five feet in one year. Against the warm 

 walls of a dwelling-house, having chimney 

 flues in it, it continues its rapid ascent, and 

 is for such places, and indeed for all im- 

 mediate effects, much the most desirable 

 kind. 



The duration of the ivy is very great. 

 Some of the plants against ruined castles 

 and abbeys, which we have seen abroad, 

 are, no doubt, two or three centuries old. 

 Those on Kenilworth towers, and in some 

 places in Ireland, have shot up solid tree- 

 like branches far above the top ; and some 

 of them there, having lived their allotted 

 span, leave the appearance of a flag-stafF 

 standing up from " the embattled wall." 

 There is a golden-leaved variety, not yet 

 cultivated among us, appearing in spring, 

 after it has made its new leaves, like an 

 immense mass of yellow flowers. 



Trained to a pole, or an irregular cedar 

 tree, and allowed to branch out at its sum- 

 mit, it forms a very striking object in small 

 gardens, — giving in winter a green aspect 



