ivy

Ivy is the climbing evergreen plant that covers old walls and tree trunks. A wall of ivy, ivy growing up the chimney, cut the ivy back.

It climbs by tiny roots that grip rather than by twining, and it does more damage to poor mortar than to sound brick. Ivy is valuable to wildlife because it flowers in autumn and fruits in winter, when little else does. Poison ivy is an unrelated American plant. Note the Ivy League, the group of old American universities, named for the ivy on their buildings, and clinging like ivy.