My neighbors have this all over their yard and I want to plant it in my yard. It is also creeping up their tree and looks really cool.
Since when is old-fashioned English ivy (Hedera helix) a California ground cover? Is your neighborhood ivy-league?
I'd agree with Canary Island Ivy Hedera canariensis, either var. canariensis, or Algerian Ivy Hedera canariensis var. algeriensis.
Chris and Michael, This is no big deal. I am just curious. It could be H.canariensis and I respect both of your opinions, but I am a little puzzled how you can tell the difference between it and H. helix by looking at the photo. H. canariensis has more reddish stems and a different chromosome number, neither of which is obvious in the photo. As far as more common in California, according to the California Invasive Plant Council, unless they are completely out to lunch, H. helix is found more frequently in more counties than H. canariensis. The USDA site is currently down, so I couldn't look at it. Just wondering. --Thanks!
H. helix has smaller, more deeply and narrowly lobed leaves on sterile ground-level shoots like this.
H. helix hibernica is the more prevalent naturalized pest here. Some weed lists including H. helix may actually be referring to this instead. As for telling ivies apart according to Stace, New Flora of the British Isles (1997, Cambridge) H. colchica produces leaves with a matt surface, more or less heart-shaped base, little, if any lobing and mostly more than 15cm across. H. algeriensis has glossy leaves with truncate to rounded bases, some with 3 lobes, most leaves less than 15cm across. Leaves of H. helix are most often less than 8cm across and often lobed more than 1/2 way to the base. H. helix hibernica bears many leaves more than 8cm across, most lobed less than half way to their bases. The first two species are furnished with orange-brown hairs, the second white to yellowish-brown. The structure of these hairs also differs. (Above based on key pp. 489-490).
Having traveled over the southern 2/3 of the state I feel safe in saying H. canariensis is more commonly Cultivated than H. helix not that it's more commonly naturalized, plus other characteristics noted by Michael and Ron. Regards Chris
