Hedera helix 'Gnome'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- HED-er-uh HEE-licks
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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‘Gnome’ is a cultivar of English ivy. It is a woody, perennial, broadleaf evergreen in the aralia family (Araliaceae). It is slow-growing and forms a dense, vining ground cover.
It grows in all light conditions, from full sun to deep shade and is not particular about soil type, pH, or drainage.
English ivy is an invasive, weedy and aggressive plant species in North Carolina, so it is best grown as a houseplant here. Consider choosing other groundcovers for shady landscapes.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: Contact with plant sap can cause skin irritation.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hedera
- Species:
- helix
- Family:
- Araliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruit provides food source for birds.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Food Source
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Houseplant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Vine
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit is produced when the plant is aged.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Black
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Deltoid
- Peltate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Tiny three-lobed triangular to arrow-head shaped blackish to silverish green leaves with a light border.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Slim dark maroon stems. Produces adventitious roots for climbing. Leaves only grow on one side of the stem.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Recreational Play Area
- Vertical Spaces
- Attracts:
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Heavy Shade
- Salt
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Invasive Species
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- Contact with plant cell sap causes severe skin irritation with redness, itching, and blisters. Ingestion of berries causes burning sensation in the throat. Ingestion of leaves can result in delirium, stupor, convulsions, hallucinations, fever and rash, vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, and diarrhea. Foliage is more toxic than berries.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Triterpenoid saponins and polyacetylene compounds
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
