Hedera helix ‘Milkshake’ - Ornamental ivy

The occasional question ...

How are new ivies selected?

There are two ways of selecting new ivy: 

1 - in a given variety, one or more branches appear differently from the rest of the plant. This is known as a mutation. This is a common phenomenon in ivy. It naturally produces new shapes or colours that are interesting to observe. By taking cuttings from this original branching, you create a new variety of ivy. 

2 - by observing populations of ivy in the wild. Some may be completely original and different from previously known forms of ivy.

In the first case, the parentage is perfectly clear. We can say that the new variety is a mutation (or a sport) of a particular cultivar. In the second case, it is more difficult, if not impossible, to establish the parentage of the new variety discovered.

In all cases, you need to make sure that this new variety is of real interest, particularly aesthetically or botanically, and of course check that it hasn't already been spotted by someone else and is therefore completely different from anything you've known before.