Hedera helix 'Gnome': Wildlife Value
Fruit provides food source for birds.
Plant Profile: Hedera helix 'Gnome'
Names
Gnome Ivy
Phonetic Spelling:HED-er-uh HEE-licks
Genus:Hedera
Species:helix
Family:Araliaceae
Gnome ivy is a small, slow-growing vine that thrives in shaded environments, making it an excellent choice for houseplants, terrariums, or even topiary designs. In contrast, Hedera helix, commonly known as English ivy, is known for its invasive and aggressive growth habits. Therefore, it may be wise to explore alternative groundcovers that flourish in partial or dappled shade. For further details on Hedera helix, additional resources are available.
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Feature Summary
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Image Gallery
Tags
#evergreen
#houseplant
#wildlife plant
#playground
#topiary
#children's garden
#edible fruits
#bird friendly
Similar Plants
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Feature Summary
Attributes
Fruit provides food source for birds.
Perennial
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Fruit
Fruit is produced when the plant is aged.
Drupe
Black
Blue
Edible
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Leaves
Tiny three-lobed triangular to arrow-head shaped blackish to silverish green leaves with a light border.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Gray/Silver
Black
Simple
Alternate
Deltoid
Peltate
Entire
Lobed
< 1 inch
Glossy
Showy
Long-lasting
< 1 inch
Stem
Slim dark maroon stems. Produces adventitious roots for climbing. Leaves only grow on one side of the stem.
Red/Burgundy
Poisonous to Humans
Contact with plant cell sap causes severe skin irritation with redness, itching, and blisters. Ingestion of berries causes burning sensation in the throat. Ingestion of leaves can result in delirium, stupor, convulsions, hallucinations, fever and rash, vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, and diarrhea. Foliage is more toxic than berries.
Triterpenoid saponins and polyacetylene compounds
Medium
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Bark
Fruits
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Poisonous
Vine
Houseplant
Ground Cover
Broadleaf Evergreen
Dense
Slow
High
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
12 inches-3 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Flowers
Landscape
Children's Garden
Drought
Salt
Heavy Shade
Container
Recreational Play Area
Houseplants
Vertical Spaces
Songbirds
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Weedy
Contact Dermatitis
Invasive Species
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Image Gallery
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Attributes
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Fruit
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Description
Fruit is produced when the plant is aged.
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Color
Black
Blue
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Leaves
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Description
Tiny three-lobed triangular to arrow-head shaped blackish to silverish green leaves with a light border.
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Color
Black
Gray/Silver
Green
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Hairs Present
No
Yes
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Stem
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Stem Description
Slim dark maroon stems. Produces adventitious roots for climbing. Leaves only grow on one side of the stem.
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Stem Color
Red/Burgundy
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Poisonous to Humans
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Poison Symptoms
Contact with plant cell sap causes severe skin irritation with redness, itching, and blisters. Ingestion of berries causes burning sensation in the throat. Ingestion of leaves can result in delirium, stupor, convulsions, hallucinations, fever and rash, vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, and diarrhea. Foliage is more toxic than berries.
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Poison Toxic Principle
Triterpenoid saponins and polyacetylene compounds
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Poison Part
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Whole Plant Traits
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Cultural Conditions
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Hedera helix 'Gnome': NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Hedera helix 'Gnome': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Flowers
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Flower Color
Green
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hedera helix 'Gnome' Landscape
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Hedera helix 'Gnome': Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
