Thorndale English Ivy

As gardens mature, shade becomes a fact of life. That charming small tree you plant will, in 30 years, easily be a towering giant, and those cute spruce will have low, sweeping branches. If you move into an established garden, the chances are that areas of shade might be extensive. While there are a host of perennials and shrubs that thrive in shade, often the most handsome solution is to carpet the area in the color of shade – deep green. There is a calm, tranquil beauty in a green carpet under trees – a cool, relaxed look that soothes the spirits and satisfies the soul. Tall, bare tree trunks too will be more beautiful wrapped in green, and dead stumps, perhaps too difficult or expensive to remove, are transformed into highlights of beauty when robed in glossy green.

These are all the reasons why the Thorndale English Ivy remains popular, because sometimes the simplest beauty is the best. Forming an evergreen carpet across large areas of the deepest shade, or clinging to tree trunks in the most charming of ways, this simple plant from Europe is the simplest natural solution for ground cover, fences and bare trunks, especially in larger gardens where the alternative is empty expansive of lifeless, dry earth.

As well, if you have cool, darker rooms in your home, it makes an attractive and easily-grown indoor plant, and branches are useful and handsome in flower arrangements too.

A note of warning, though. This plant is not suitable for small gardens, and in some parts of the country – the northwest for example, it can easily escape gardens and become an invasive pest. In young trees it may end up smothering the tree, but will usually not do that in large, mature trees. Growing large in a relatively short time, it’s not a temporary solution either, because removal can be a big job, should you change your mind. But in the right place, there is no doubt that it can be the right choice.

Growing the Thorndale English Ivy

Size and Appearance

Thorndale English Ivy is a hardy evergreen vine, that will grow equally well across the soil as a ground cover, or grow up trunks, fences or buildings too, as a climbing, self-supporting vine. On the ground it can cover a considerable area, with one plant quickly covering 6 to 8 feet of ground, developing after some years into a web of stems and foliage up to 20 feet across. Climbing upwards it is also no sluggard, reaching 10 to 15 feet in a few years, and potentially rising 50 feet off the ground in larger trees.

The woody stems remain relatively thin, but can become an inch or two thick in time. Each stem has leaves alternating along it, and older stems produce many side shoots, creating a dense, leafy carpet or garland. The leaves are more or less round, but divided into 5 triangular lobes creating an instantly-recognizable shape. Older leaves can be 3 to 4 inches across. The leaves are leathery, glossy and smooth, light green when young, turning dark green as they mature. A network of silvery veins completes a picture of understated beauty. Evergreen for several years, older leaves do brown and fall, but by then they are often deeper inside the plant, and disappear unnoticed.

Only old, mature plants flower, and often only when high in trees. Flowering stems have more rounded leaves, producing clusters of greenish-yellow flowers in late summer or through fall. These mature into clusters of black berries which have an understated charm.

Using the Thorndale English Ivy in Your Garden

This plant is used for ground cover over larger areas of moderate to deep shade, but will also grow in brighter partial shade too. It can edge beds or cover large areas of bare ground. If there are tree trunks, walls or fences it will naturally climb up them, or can be given a helping hand with a few canes. The stems send out roots that cling to any surface, so no support or ties are needed. We don’t recommend this plant for house walls, as the roots will penetrate mortar between bricks or stone, or find there way between cladding, causing future problems, and often leaving traces of roots even if removed. Keep it for old trees, garden structures and old but strong fences of any kind. For ground cover, space plants with 3 to 4 feet between them, or on fences you can allow up to 6 foot spacing.

Ivy is also charming in pots indoors, suited best for cool rooms as hot dry air encourages spider mites on this plant. On window sills or in hanging baskets it is easy to grow and has a quiet charm.

Hardiness

The Thorndale English Ivy is one of the hardiest of all the varieties of English Ivy, growing in zone 5, and all the way into zone 9 in most climates, doing best in regions that have cooler or moist summers, and is less successful without supplementary watering in very hot, dry regions. It also grows well and indefinitely indoors or on porches.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although the Thorndale English Ivy will grow in full sun in cooler zones, it is best reserved for areas with partial or full shade, where few other plants grow. It is tolerant of deep, permanent shade, growing successfully where few other plants can survive.

It is not particular about soil, growing in everything from damp (but not flooded) ground to areas of dry soil, although plants in dry soil should be watered for the first few years to become well-established. It grows in clay, loam or sand, and in acidic or alkaline soil. It will also grow in soil pockets among areas of rock.

Maintenance and Pruning

Best used in larger spaces, the edges of a planted area can be trimmed at any time of year with shears to keep it within bounds, and branches climbing trunks can be shortened, although they will grow back quickly. If you are having to do a lot of trimming, the area is probably too small for it to be a good choice. Deer don’t eat it, and outdoor plants are usually free of pests or diseases. Indoor plants may suffer from spider mites if the air is hot and dry.

History and Origin of the Thorndale English Ivy

English Ivy, Hedera helix, is also known as common ivy or European ivy, and grows wild across most of Europe and the British Isles, as well as in suitable areas of western Asia. Widely introduced around the world, it has become common in many countries. The English name ‘ivy’ is of uncertain origin, but ‘Hedera’ is a classic Latin word meaning ‘to grasp’, an obvious reference to its growing habits.

A variable plant, there are many varieties with different leaf forms, and some that are shrubby. The plant has two forms, growing with long vines when young or in full shade, while older plants, often when they burst through the foliage if a tree into the sunlight, grow shorter, shrubby stems with more rounded leaves, that flower and produce fruit. This change is not easily reversed, and these shrubby forms can become distinct varieties. Many varieties of ivy were collected and named during the 19th century, but the origin of the variety called ‘Thorndale’ has been lost. It was probably found in North America, and is notable for the silvery veins and its good hardiness in colder zones, compared to most other varieties.

Buying the Thorndale English Ivy at the Tree Center

Turn boring shade and bare expanses of lifeless ground into beautiful evergreen carpets with the versatile and easy Thorndale English Ivy. A great choice for larger spaces, it needs little or no attention to give you a feeling of tranquil maturity in places where you previously feared to go. When used well it is incredibly useful, dealing with those big dead areas so you can focus your time on more rewarding parts of your garden. Often bought in large quantities, our stock is limited, so don’t leave your decision too long, especially where the extended hardiness of this plant is important if you garden where most other varieties will fail.