Hedera helix Filigran - Common ivy

Hedera helix 'Filigran', derived from common ivy, is a highly ornamental plant prized for its robustness and unique design. This cultivar is distinguished by its shiny, very wavy, dark green foliage, turning bronze in winter, decorative throughout the year. Used as ground cover, as a climbing plant or in a pot, it adapts easily to various conditions, as long as it is planted in partial shade. Its great resistance to cold and drought makes this ivy a very beautiful plant that requires little maintenance.

Ivies belong to the araliaceae family, they are cousins of Ginseng and fatsias. Hedera helix 'Filigran' comes from the common ivy, which can be found everywhere in forests, countryside, and gardens and is native to the entire Eurasian temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Ivy stems cling on their own to supports by means of strong climbing roots. This plant has produced numerous cultivars of varying sizes, with diversified foliage, some capable of flowering and fruiting once mature. The foliage carried by the stems that will flower, located higher on the plant, is different from the foliage carried by the juvenile stems. The ivy's greenish flowering, in the form of globular inflorescences, is an excellent nectar source for bees. It is followed by blackish-blue berries, toxic to humans but an excellent winter food source for birds.

Hedera helix 'Filigran' has been selected for its very unusual foliage and its ability to withstand difficult conditions. It has a compact habit and relatively slow, yet vigorous, growth. At maturity, it reaches about 2 m in height when trained on a wall, or 2 m in width and 40 cm in height if it runs on the ground.

The leaves of Hedera helix 'Filigran' are dark green, shiny, fairly round, with a pleated texture and strongly wavy edges. In winter, the foliage takes on an attractive bronze hue. This plant blooms in September and October, producing small discreet flowers followed by inedible black fruits. The foliage remains decorative throughout the year, even in the harshest winter conditions.

The ornamental ivy 'Filigran' is versatile and can be used in various ways in the garden. As a ground cover, it is perfect in shaded beds, creating a dense, lush green carpet. As a climbing plant, it can adorn walls, fences, and trellises with its luxurious greenery. Grown in a pot, it decorates balconies and terraces. In dry shade, Hedera helix 'Filigran' pairs well with perennials such as Vinca minor 'Flower Power' with delicate blue flowers, hardy geraniums Geranium macrorrhizum, spotted dead nettles (Lamium maculatum Collection) with silver foliage brightening shaded areas, and Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum' with spring yellow flowers and decorative foliage.

In a low shady hedge, Hedera helix 'Filigran' can be paired with shrubs such as the evergreen spindle tree Euonymus fortunei 'Silverstone', Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium), and Japanese holly Ilex crenata 'Green Lustre'.