Ivy Necklace with Berries in 925 Silver and Natural Stones

The common ivy ( Hedera helix ) is a climbing shrub which is often destroyed, because it is "accused" of being a parasitic species which damages and degrades the wood.

It's false! Ivy plays an ecological role of fundamental importance for the balance of the forest and for the fauna .

First of all, it should be remembered that Nature does nothing by chance. Every species, even the most unwelcome and insignificant, occupies a key place in the complex ecological dynamics. Sometimes this role escapes not only ordinary people but also scientists who are frequently forced to revise the most consolidated theories in the light of new knowledge.

Many farmers and forestry operators are convinced, for example, that ivy is a "harmful" species responsible for suffocating and drying up trees and for this reason they cut it down, believing they are doing a useful service to the forest. Let's dispel a myth of poor botanical knowledge and poor silvicultural management: ivy does not feed on tree sap, it is a climber (like the vine) and seeks only support from the host plant , a guardian to wrap itself around .

Trimming ivy is wrong for a number of reasons. Here they are:

– the plant offers shelter to numerous species of birds that frequently nest there;

– its berries are consumed by numerous species of birds (thrushes, blackbirds, starlings, etc.) which, in certain seasons of the year, feed almost exclusively on its fruits. By suppressing the ivy, an indispensable trophic source for the avifauna is lost and a drastic impoverishment of the fauna of the woods is determined;

– the evergreen leaves are appetizing by rare species of butterflies (ivy moth, Celastrina argiolus) and by herbivorous animals such as deer, fallow deer, roe deer especially in the winter season, when other food sources are scarce;

– the leaves, falling to the ground, decompose rapidly and form good quality humus

– anti-pollution function : NASA, the American Space Agency, has disclosed the characteristics of some plants with evident “phytodepurative” properties. Among these is the ivy, which seems to have shown remarkable capabilities: according to NASA it absorbs 90% of benzene and over 10% of trichlorethylene, so we can certainly define it as an "anti-pollution plant".

Finally, ivy is a plant used for herbal purposes . Contains saponins, tannins, resins and mineral salts; it is an expectorant, an emmenagogue and antureumatic. For cosmetic use, the infusion added to bath water is astringent and helps anti-cellulite treatments; used to rinse hair after shampooing, it makes them shiny and dark. Be careful though, the berries are toxic if ingested, especially for children.

Description . Very rustic and evergreen plant, with dark green leaves, which can reach 20-30 m. It has sterile branches characterized by aerial roots and leaves with 3-5 lobes often streaked with white; the branches bearing the flowers have no aerial roots and the leaves are entire and ovate-rhomboid in shape. The small, greenish-yellow flowers, gathered in terminal racemes, appear in summer and, in the following spring, give rise to globular black-bluish berries. Very common, especially in woods and hedges, from the sea to the mountainous area up to 1,000-1,500 m of altitude. It is often grown as an ornamental plant with several selected varieties.

Mythology : “ Ivy is Dionysus' favorite plant. The god was often called "the Crowned One of Ivy" or even Kissòs. the ivy. This liana had saved him twice in Cadmus. Shortly after his birth, the nymphs immersed him in the Kissusa spring, of ivy, and it was on Mount Helicon (hélix is ​​another name for ivy) that he was raised” . Source : Mythology of trees, J. Brosse, Rizzoli, 2007.

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