Hedera helix Peter Pan - Hedera helix Kappeln - Common ivy

Hedera helix 'Peter Pan', known as common ivy or ornamental ivy 'Peter Pan', is a miniature climbing plant with unique foliage that exhibits rather rapid growth for a dwarf cultivar. This lovely ivy variety is most commonly used as a ground cover or for pots, in shade or partial shade.

Ivies belong to the Araliaceae family and are relatives of Ginseng and fatsias. Hedera helix 'Peter Pan' is derived from common ivy, found everywhere in forests, countryside, and gardens. It is native to the entire temperate Eurasian zone of the northern hemisphere. Ivy stems attach themselves to supports using strong climbing roots. This plant has given rise to numerous cultivars of varying sizes, with diverse foliage, some capable of flowering and fruiting once mature. The foliage borne by the flowering stems, located higher on the plant, differs from the foliage borne by juvenile stems. Ivy's greenish flowering, in globular inflorescences, is an excellent nectar source for bees. It is followed by the formation of black-blue berries, toxic to humans but providing an excellent winter food source for birds.

Hedera helix 'Peter Pan' was selected in the United States in the 1980s for its ornamental qualities and strong vigour. This ivy variety is characterised by its almost round small leaves, with slightly marked three lobes, a slightly pleated surface, and a cup shape. The leaves are densely clustered on creeping, stiff, dull green, well-branched stems. The plant will reach a height of 10 to 20 cm and spread 30 to 60 cm. 'Peter Pan' Ivy does not produce visible flowers, but its dense and attractive foliage more than compensates for this absence. The leaves, with their unique shape and texture, add a sophisticated touch to any setting, even in winter.

The 'Peter Pan' miniature ivy is used as a ground cover in shaded areas where few other plants thrive. It can also be grown in pots on balconies, terraces, and patios. Its rapid growth and ground-covering ability are useful for controlling weeds and enhancing empty spaces under trees and shrubs. In shaded rockeries, it can be paired with fern varieties like Asplenium trichomanes and Kenilworth Ivy Cymbalaria muralis. At the edge of a woodland, mix it with Heuchera 'Fire Rain' and Anemone blanda 'Blue Shades', for example.