Hedera helix ‘Frodo’ – Ornemental Ivy

Ivy, in its development, successively goes through 3 stages.

1 – initially, it crawls on the ground and forms adventitious roots that allow it to crawl further and further, thus forming an evergreen carpet.

2 – when it encounters a support, it begins to climb. Instead of adventitious roots, it forms crampons that allow it to climb higher and higher.

3 – when it sees enough light, it then enters its third stage, called the adult stage. It now produces horizontal branches, a bit like a shrub. In autumn, it flowers in the form of greenish umbels that are very popular with pollinating or foraging insects. These flowers give rise to berries that will very gradually mature during the winter and feed the birds.

Semi-adult ivy has characteristics of both juvenile ivy and adult ivy. For example, it no longer has lobed leaves, but oval leaves (like adult ivy), but not yet flowers and fruits (like juvenile ivy).