Content
- Ivy develops its fruits in winter
- Only the age of the ivy bears berries
- This is how the fruits of ivy look like
- The fruits ripen in winter
- Ivy berries are highly toxic
- Tips
Ivy does not show fruit until it is 10 years old
Ivy develops its fruits in winter
The fruits of the ivy are not so common in the garden. They only grow when the ivy has reached its age. If berries have grown, be careful. They are highly toxic and can even lead to death if eaten.
Only the age of the ivy bears berries
Many years pass before an ivy flowers. He reaches his age only when he is older than ten years and more. This is recognizable, among other things, on the leaves, which are no longer lobed several times, but only grow three-lobed or heart-shaped.
This is how the fruits of ivy look like
The fruits develop from the hemispherical umbels of the flower. They reach a size of five to nine millimeters. Each berry contains one to five seeds.
Ripe fruits are usually dark purple, occasionally greenish-black. There are also ivy species that bear white or yellow berries.
The fruits ripen in winter
Ivy flowers in the fall and is therefore a valuable natural plant, because at that time there are only a few flowers left to collect nectar for bees and other insects.
The berries remain on the shrub over winter and are quite mature in spring.
Ivy berries are highly toxic
The fruits of ivy are highly poisonous. They contain triterpene saponins, which can be fatal if you eat three fruits.
Therefore ivy causes a strong danger of poisoning, especially for children.
Since the fruits are very bitter, they are not necessarily for consumption, so adult poisoning is almost never occurring. It is different with children who eat the berries out of curiosity, or pets that nibble on cut shrubs and thus inadvertently pick up fruit.
Tips
Removing ivy from the garden is not easy. It spreads not only over the climbing tendrils, but also in the age form over seeds from the fruits. Therefore, cut back ivy after flowering so that no berries can grow.