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English Ivy

English Ivy
Photo: Delwyn Thomas
Invasive Plant
English Ivy
Hedera helix
 

A widely planted ornamental, this species was unsuspectingly used to cover brick walls, sheds or was used as a ground cover beneath trees. It is extremely hardy and can survive in full-sun to shade. Easily distinguished by its dark green lobed leaves. Without pruning control, it smothers everything, debilitates trees and sets large quantities of seed.

 

HOW IT SPREADS

  • Tenacious and invasive aerial roots cling to trees smothering the bark. Trailing stems will easily take root and spread along the ground. When the plant is allowed to mature to the shrubby adult form, the small umbels of white flowers are followed by a prolific amount of blue-black berries which are quickly spread by birds. Aerial roots may destroy mortar joints on walls.
  • Clippings easily take root when dumped on unused ground or in bushland areas.
 
 
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Alternative Plants

Banksia Rose
Photo: Macbird Floraprint
Alternative Plant Banksia Rose
Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'
Climbing and Ground Cover Plants
 

This climbing rose produces long slender twining canes with masses of tiny, double, yellow flowers in spring. It is one of the most popular climbing roses because of the beautiful spring blooms and absence of thorns. Flowers best in full-sun. This species is drought hardy and frost tolerant.

Purple Appleberry
Photo: Habitat Plants
Alternative Plant Purple Appleberry
Billardiera longifolia
Climbing and Ground Cover Plants
 

An elegant Tasmanian native climbing plant. Flowers are pale greenish-white in colour and are followed by showy purple-blue berries that dangle in profusion during autumn. An ideal specimen for a low wall or trellis. Grows best in a partly sunny, sheltered position. A hardy plant once established that will attract birds and bees to the garden.

Wonga Wonga Vine
Photo: Macbird Floraprint
Alternative Plant Wonga Wonga Vine
Pandorea pandorana
Climbing and Ground Cover Plants
 

This is a vigorous, hardy Australian native twining plant. The flowers are tubular and creamy-white with purple or brown markings in the throat. A number of selected colour forms of this species have been brought into cultivation, the most common is 'Snowbells' with pure white flowers and 'Golden Showers' with yellow-bronze flowers. Flowering occurs mainly in spring but may persist into summer.

 
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