Last year, I acquired a variegated ivy. Hardly any green was present in the
leaf colour. They were almost entirely coloured in reds pinks and orange.
It was extremely attractive and very unusual. So unusual, in fact that I
cannot find a photo of anything similar, on the internet. Apart from the
colour, the shape of the leaves was very typical of a variegated ivy.

The ivy appeared to die off at the end of the Summer - but then, in the
Spring, it started producing new shoots.

Unfortunately, the new shoots produced what looks much like a typical
variegated ivy, with leaves displaying only shades of green. There is
hardly any pink to be seen anywhere, except on the edges of one or two
leaves.

Can anyone explain this? They are getting exactly the same amount of
sunlight as last year, and the same amount of watering. The only thing I
have changed is the soil. When I optained the ivy it was in a pot, and I
have since replanted them in ordinary garden soil.

Many thanks,

Al

Could it a Houttuynia cordata, as in the picture below
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/200...fia/7dccb5.jpg




"AL_n" wrote in message ...

Last year, I acquired a variegated ivy. Hardly any green was present in the
leaf colour. They were almost entirely coloured in reds pinks and orange.
It was extremely attractive and very unusual. So unusual, in fact that I
cannot find a photo of anything similar, on the internet. Apart from the
colour, the shape of the leaves was very typical of a variegated ivy.

The ivy appeared to die off at the end of the Summer - but then, in the
Spring, it started producing new shoots.

Unfortunately, the new shoots produced what looks much like a typical
variegated ivy, with leaves displaying only shades of green. There is
hardly any pink to be seen anywhere, except on the edges of one or two
leaves.

Can anyone explain this? They are getting exactly the same amount of
sunlight as last year, and the same amount of watering. The only thing I
have changed is the soil. When I optained the ivy it was in a pot, and I
have since replanted them in ordinary garden soil.

Many thanks,

Al

On 19 Sep 2011 10:54:24 GMT, "AL_n" wrote:

The ivy appeared to die off at the end of the Summer - but then, in the
Spring, it started producing new shoots.

Are you sure this is ivy? Not some other clinging climber? I ask,
because I would not expect ivy (Hedera) to 'die off' over winter. It
is not impossible that a newly-planted one might struggle and lose a
lot of it's leaves, but ivy is normally evergreen, i.e. keeps it's
leaves through the winter.

Sorry if I am off-track, it just occurred to me.


Gardening on Wilts/Somerset border
on slightly alkaline clay.

cotula wrote in
:

On 19 Sep 2011 10:54:24 GMT, "AL_n" wrote:

The ivy appeared to die off at the end of the Summer - but then, in the
Spring, it started producing new shoots.

Are you sure this is ivy? Not some other clinging climber? I ask,
because I would not expect ivy (Hedera) to 'die off' over winter. It
is not impossible that a newly-planted one might struggle and lose a
lot of it's leaves, but ivy is normally evergreen, i.e. keeps it's
leaves through the winter.

Sorry if I am off-track, it just occurred to me.


Gardening on Wilts/Somerset border
on slightly alkaline clay.


You make a good point! Now you mention it, I am not at all sure it is an
ivy. Here is a photo:

http://tinyurl.com/6zom7bf

Can anyone identify it?

Al

In article ,
AL_n wrote:

You make a good point! Now you mention it, I am not at all sure it is an
ivy. Here is a photo:

http://tinyurl.com/6zom7bf

That's not an ivy! I don't know it, though.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Sacha wrote in :

Looks like a not very happy Houttuynia. But I suggest that, as the OP
seems to know the original supplier, he takes it back and asks him/her
what it is.

The supplier was one of my neighbours, and she thought it was an ivy.

PS, I'd love to know the correct pronounciation of Houttuynia!

Al

"AL_n" wrote ..

Sacha wrote :

Looks like a not very happy Houttuynia. But I suggest that, as the OP
seems to know the original supplier, he takes it back and asks him/her
what it is.

The supplier was one of my neighbours, and she thought it was an ivy.

PS, I'd love to know the correct pronunciation of Houttuynia!


From my Dictionary of Plant Names it's... Hoo-tie-nee-a ... after Martin
Houttuyn a Dutch Naturalist.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Sacha wrote in :

I say something along the lines of Hootoonia but have no idea if that's
right or not! Glad we've now pinned it down to what it really is,
however. Because if you were waiting for that to climb up and cling to
a support, you'd be a disappointed man!

LOL - yes, for sure!

Al

On 27 Sep 2011 16:42:18 GMT, "AL_n" wrote:

pruned

You make a good point! Now you mention it, I am not at all sure it is an
ivy. Here is a photo:

http://tinyurl.com/6zom7bf

Can anyone identify it?

Al

Houttuynia is my guess (if that's how you spell it!). Your's looks a
bit sick but that's probably because it's too dry. This is a moist
soil loving plant - pond margins sort of thing. Trouble is it's as
invasive as hell. I planted one in a planter in a pond. It's now
coming up in my lawn a few feet away from the pond.

If you bought it labelled as ivy, take it back!

Cheers, Jake
================================================== =====
URGling from the less wet end of Swansea Bay in between
sweeping up leaves by the cubic metre!

www.rivendell.org.uk

On Sep 27, 6:28*pm, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:
On 27 Sep 2011 16:42:18 GMT, "AL_n" wrote:

pruned



You make a good point! Now you mention it, I am not at all sure it is an
ivy. Here is a photo:

http://tinyurl.com/6zom7bf

Can anyone identify it?

Al

Houttuynia is my guess (if that's how you spell it!). Your's looks a
bit sick but that's probably because it's too dry. This is a moist
soil loving plant - pond margins sort of thing. Trouble is it's as
invasive as hell. I planted one in a planter in a pond. It's now
coming up in my lawn a *few feet away from the pond.

If you bought it labelled as ivy, take it back!

Cheers, Jake
================================================== =====
URGling from the less wet end of Swansea Bay in between
sweeping up leaves by the cubic metre!

www.rivendell.org.uk

No doubt about it, it's a very poor sample of Houttuynia cordata.
People tend to think it's only for damp areas, but I found a very
large clump of Houttuynia Cordata Plena growing in a raised bed under
trees at the top of a long steep drive,
Pity we didn't have a photo at the start of this thread.

Jake Nospam@invalid wrote in news:vj14879a97a3g5ji3ileghvs6o13juagj5@
4ax.com:

Houttuynia is my guess (if that's how you spell it!). Your's looks a
bit sick but that's probably because it's too dry. This is a moist
soil loving plant - pond margins sort of thing. Trouble is it's as
invasive as hell. I planted one in a planter in a pond. It's now
coming up in my lawn a few feet away from the pond.


Yes, I think you have identified it correctly, because it looks just like
this one: http://tinyurl.com/6yv4chx

Thanks!

If you bought it labelled as ivy, take it back!

I wouldn't do that! I really like the plant; the leaf colouring was
spectacular when it was doing it's red-and-pink show in earnest, last
Summer. I also like invasive plants! I have a lot of ground that needs
covering up with something pretty to stifle the weeds! Unfortunately, I
don;t have a pond or any damp areas. I guess I could easily make a pond
though, or greate a deliberate leak in a drain-pipe or something...

Al

On 27 Sep 2011 18:41:00 GMT, "AL_n" wrote:

Jake Nospam@invalid wrote in news:vj14879a97a3g5ji3ileghvs6o13juagj5@
4ax.com:

Houttuynia is my guess (if that's how you spell it!). Your's looks a
bit sick but that's probably because it's too dry. This is a moist
soil loving plant - pond margins sort of thing. Trouble is it's as
invasive as hell. I planted one in a planter in a pond. It's now
coming up in my lawn a few feet away from the pond.


Yes, I think you have identified it correctly, because it looks just like
this one: http://tinyurl.com/6yv4chx

Thanks!

If you bought it labelled as ivy, take it back!

I wouldn't do that! I really like the plant; the leaf colouring was
spectacular when it was doing it's red-and-pink show in earnest, last
Summer. I also like invasive plants! I have a lot of ground that needs
covering up with something pretty to stifle the weeds! Unfortunately, I
don;t have a pond or any damp areas. I guess I could easily make a pond
though, or greate a deliberate leak in a drain-pipe or something...

Al

Just keep it well watered. By "invasive" I mean it spreads. However I
wouldn't call it "ground cover" - it just pops up where it feels like
it. In that little pot it probably feels a bit cramped as well so
allowing it freedom will give it a pick-me-up.

Cheers, Jake
================================================== =====
URGling from the less wet end of Swansea Bay in between
sweeping up leaves by the cubic metre!

www.rivendell.org.uk

On Sep 19, 1:53*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-09-19 11:54:24 +0100, "AL_n" said:





Last year, I acquired a variegated ivy. Hardly any green was present in the
leaf colour. They were almost entirely coloured in reds pinks and orange.
It was extremely attractive and very unusual. So unusual, in fact that I
cannot find a photo of anything similar, on the internet. Apart from the
colour, the shape of the leaves was very typical of a variegated ivy.

The ivy appeared to die off at the end of the Summer - but then, in the
Spring, it started producing new shoots.

Unfortunately, the new shoots produced what looks much like a typical
variegated ivy, with leaves displaying only shades of green. There is
hardly any pink to be seen anywhere, except on the edges of one or two
leaves.

Can anyone explain this? They are getting exactly the same amount of
sunlight as last year, and the same amount of watering. The only thing I
have changed is the soil. When I optained the ivy it was in a pot, and I
have since replanted them in ordinary garden soil.

Many thanks,

Al

Was it dyed? *Watered with something that changed its colour as a
'novelty plant' perhaps?
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'd say that when you got the ivy they were under stress which is why
you had the fancy colours, now they are in soil, no stress and so just
normal growth and their natural colour.
Cold weather can also cause the colour change, you get this with
several variegated evergreens suvh as Euonimous Radicans.
David Hill

Dave Hill wrote in news:bf62c889-2595-4d91-
:

I'd say that when you got the ivy they were under stress which is why
you had the fancy colours, now they are in soil, no stress and so just
normal growth and their natural colour.
Cold weather can also cause the colour change, you get this with
several variegated evergreens suvh as Euonimous Radicans.
David Hill

Okay - thanks for the info..

Al

On 9/19/2011 9:33 AM, Dave Hill wrote:

I'd say that when you got the ivy they were under stress which is why
you had the fancy colours, now they are in soil, no stress and so just
normal growth and their natural colour.
Cold weather can also cause the colour change, you get this with
several variegated evergreens suvh as Euonimous Radicans.

I have a number of Euonymus which are yellow with green in summer, but
change to pink with red in winter.