Hedera helix

Overview

Kew accepts Hedera helix in Araliaceae, with a native range from Europe and the Mediterranean to Iran, including Greece and Crete. The accepted name dates to a 1753 publication, which is a naming record rather than an origin date.

Its stems either climb supports using adventitious rootlets or creep across the ground to form carpets. Attaching by rootlets does not by itself make the plant parasitic.

Juvenile climbing or creeping shoots carry palmately lobed leaves, while reproductive shoots carry unlobed ovate to rhombic leaves. Metcalfe links flowering to physiologically adult upright shoots, so identification and ecology should take life stage into account.

Origins & earliest records

Naming history: Species Plantarum, p. 202 (1753), as recorded by Kew. Evolutionary origin not established by these sources.

Evidence & interpretation

Kew Plants of the World Online account; Metcalfe 2005, Journal of Ecology 93:632–648.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Hedera helix L.

   Metcalfe · 2005

   Selected bibliography; Journal of Ecology 93:632–648, covering morphology and growth habit.

Family, evolution & connections

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

Source note: Accepted name and family placement follow Kew.

1. FamilyAraliaceae
2. SpeciesHedera helix

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Taxonomic databaseHedera helix L. | Plants of the World OnlineResearch access: 2026-10-07
2. Peer-reviewed articleHedera helix L.Research access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.