Description Family Araliaceae Originating from Europe and Asia. Evergreen lush climber with cute, lobed, gold-margined leaves. Creamy white flowers actively attract pollinators and yield black berries in winter. Easy to grow in any soil, as a climber or ground cover in full sun or shade. Evergreen ivy ‘Goldheart’ glows warmly with copious, dense, small, star-shaped leaves. Each with a unique lobed shape and pattern of green and warm golden variegation, they appear sunlight on a cloudy day. Its warm glow brightens shady spots in Norfolk woodland gardens or north-facing Suffolk courtyards. Reaching 2m high and wide in 5–10 years, this hardy English ivy is the ultimate utility plant fulfilling any role in style. Its versatile stems climb walls and tree stumps. They make a dense weed-suppressing ground cover or trail from pots and hanging baskets. Its globes of creamy late summer flowers make a welcome feast for the bees of Norfolk and the butterflies of Suffolk. Black berries loved by birds follow them, making it a superb wildlife garden addition. Care Tips for Ivy Soil and Sun: Grows in any soil; in full sun or shade. Planting: Plant at any time of year, summer planting requires extra diligence for watering. Watering: Ensure moist conditions after planting, drought tolerant once established. Pruning and training: None required, but trim in late winter if desired to control spread or form any shape. A go-to plant for all gardeners with difficult-to-plant dry shady areas, it thrives in adversity and is hardy in all UK gardens. Additionally, its endearingly dainty lobed leaves make it a prime choice for ornamental centrepieces. Use its abundant display to knit together pot displays on exposed maritime north Norfolk patios or in hot and dry Suffolk gravel gardens. Planting Suggestions for the evergreen ivy, Hedera helix ‘Goldheart’ A tough plant with a can-do attitude, also loaded with character and flamboyant colour, what’s not to like! Set it free to wander and scramble amongst dark exotics and let it create a carpet of warm, glowing evergreen foliage below them. Plant it below Trachycarpus fortunei and wagnerianus, Dicksonia antarctica and coppiced Paulownia tomentosa. Its abundant foliage gives them a rainforest-style understory. Indulge in Goldchild’s chic cascades of foliage, spilling over contemporary raised beds around modern outdoor lifestyle patios. Its evergreen star-shaped sunbursts soften hard landscaping and corten steel planters, contrasting with their materials and dark foliage. It makes a dramatic contrast with architectural forms and dark glossy leaves of Aeonium arboreum ‘Atropurpureum’ and Dykia ‘Burgundy Ice’. Add it to summer patio displays tumbling from pots of Mangave ‘Inkblot’ and Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’ a la mode.
