Common Ivy (Hedera helix)

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Hello dear Hivers, I hope you have a nice day and a relaxing weekend. Today I went out for a little walk and took some photos of an interesting plant, which I would like to share together with some informations about it with you.

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This plant bears the name common ivy and the botanical name is Hedera helix and originally comes from Central Europe. Normally, common ivy reaches sizes of up to 600 cm in rarer cases higher and every year it grows by about 30 to 90 cm. Most of the time, this plant can be found near roads and waysides, in forests or embankments and prefers shady places, but also copes well with much sun.

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Propagation is typically by seed and ivy is also quite capable of propagation by cuttings. The flowering period begins in September and October and from an ecological point of view, Hedera helix is ​​valuable as it provides insects pollen and nectar when other plants have already stopped flowering.

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This plant must be carefully handled, as all parts are poisonous. But due to the active ingredients such as saponins, ivy is also considered a medicinal plant, but care should be taken to use it correctly because of its toxicity. In modern medicine, ivy is often used against coughs and as an expectorant.

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I also find the mythology of common ivy very interesting. Earlier in ancient Egypt, ivy was considered sacred due to the green leaves and was a symbol of eternity and immortality. Ivy is also dedicated to the Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus and ivy is also considered a symbol of loyalty and purity.

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Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like my post! I took the pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 and Sony SEL-55210 Telephoto Zoom Lens (55-210mm).



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