NEN Gallery

Ivy is one of the few native climbing plants that reaches a significant height. It produces fine rootlets from its stem that help it to cling to walls and trees. In Autumn it produces greenish flowers that are pollinated by wasps and flies (shown here in bloom). Ivy was traditionally hung on walls and doors to protect against house goblins, the goblins were supposed to be at their most malicious at christmas time. Its magical power was also supposed to keep away evil. The leaves on flowering shoots are not the shape normally associated with ivy. Picture taken 28th October near Stevington, Bedfordshire.