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IVY
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Trailing plants that belong to the genus Hedera, family Araliaceae, are usually known as ivies. The English ivy, H. helix, native to Eurasia, is an evergreen vine with handsome, glossy leaves. It is a hardy, dependable climber that clings to walls or the ground by means of aerial roots. Varieties of H. helix include: "baltica", a very hardy plant; "conglomerata", a slow-growing dwarf variety; "hahn's self-branching", used as a ground cover because of its very dense growth; and "minima", which has small leaves and is used primarily for decorative purposes indoors. Algerian ivy, or Canary Island ivy, H. canariensis, is an attractive ivy from the Canary Islands that thrives in gardens of the southeastern United States.
Other species with ivylike leaves and growth habits are: American ivy or five-leaved ivy, Parthenocissus quinquefolia; Boston or Japanese ivy, P. tricuspidata; Cape ivy, Senecio macroglossus; German ivy, S. mikanioides ground ivy, Glechoma hederacea; poison ivy, Rhus toxicodendron; and ivy geranium, Pelargonium peltatum.
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