Description
Irish ivy - Hedera hibernica ‘Albany’
In a nutshell
Irish ivy, Hedera hibernica ‘Albany’, is a compact ivy with moderate growth.
The stems and petioles are often thick and fasciate, and bear broad, asymmetrical, dark green leaves with 5 lobes. They turn brown in winter. Leafy growths sometimes develop along the main veins.
This variety is very different from most other cultivars of Hedera hibernica. It is a good ground cover for both sun and shade. It can also be used in rock gardens.
History
This cultivar was discovered by Fred Danker, Albany, New York, USA in 1931.
Technical details - Hedera hibernica 'Albany'
Botanical information
- Family: Araliaceae
- Genre : Hedera
- Species : hibernica
- Cultivar: ‘Albany’
- Synonym: ‘Dankeri’
- Pierot classification: ivy curiosity
- Foliage stage: semi-adult
- Origin of the species: Europe, on the Atlantic coast, from Portugal to Scotland
- Origin of cultivar: found by Fred Danker, Albany, New York, USA and distributed from 1935 onwards
Description of Hedera hibernica ‘Albany’
- Growth habit: shrubby, compact, semi-erect
- Number of lobes: usually 5, sometimes 3, sometimes 6
- Leaf length: 7 cm
- Sheet width: 8 cm
- Leaf shape: asymmetrical, sometimes with adventitious leaflets on the midrib
- Colour of leaf: medium green
- Apex : sharp
- Base: cordiform
- Colour of veins: light green, often raised
- Stem: well-branched
- Colour of stem and petiole: purple green, sometimes fasciated and flattened
- Hair: stellate, small
Planting, cultivation and care instructions for Hedera hibernica ‘Albany’
- Exposure: shade, part shade, sun
- Hardiness: -15°C
- Soil moisture: cool soil
- Soil PH: neutral, calcareous or acidic
- Soil type: all
- Soil richness: ordinary or humus-bearing
- Use: ground cover, pots, window boxes, rockery
- Development: moderate
- Pruning: once a year
- Pests: very rare (spider mites, mealy bugs)
- Diseases: very rare (leaf spots)
A page from my little ivy encyclopaedia
The occasional question ...
What is the apex of a leaf?
The vocabulary used by botanists to describe plants is very rich. For leaves alone, you can come across dozens of specific terms.
The word ‘apex‘means the end. It can apply to roots, stems or leaves. This is where the plant lengthens. The apex of an ivy leaf is therefore the tip of the leaf, or the lobes of the leaf. In the same way, the apical of a leaf corresponds to the part located at the end of a leaf.
Ivy in literature
“The ivy-covered walls of the old hacienda seemed to breathe a forgotten history.”








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