Hedera helix ’Baltica’ is an aggressive, fast-growing, evergreen, woody perennial self-clinging or trailing vine with 3- to 5-lobed, glossy leaves that are unusually dark green with prominent white veins. This variety of English Ivy is very similar to Hedera helix, except its dark green leaves are more white-veined, smaller and purplish-tinged in winter.

Primarily grown as a climbing vine (the roots attach to most surfaces: fences, trellises, walls, ...) or trailing ground cover lawn alternative, it is also popular for topiaries. The evergreen foliage is extremely cold hardy, prized for northern zones. Ideal for northern exposures where evergreen is desired. Can climb 30-40 feet. Fast growth rate, infrequent foot traffic is tolerated.

Tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers rich loams. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. It will also grow in full sun, but prefers some shade in Zones 7 - 10. Solid green ivies are highly tolerant of shade (variegated ivies prefer part sun). Tolerates drought, best to let the soil dry out between watering. Mature height 8-12", spacing 8-12".

Caution: invasive - use contained areas when planting in climates with mild winters.

Hedera Helix general info:
Hedera helix (species name from Ancient Greek "twist, turn"), also called Ivy, Common Ivy, or English Ivy is a species of ivy native to most of Europe and southwest Asia. It is an evergreen climbing plant, growing to 20-30 m high where suitable surfaces (trees, cliffs, walls) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It holds on to tree bark and rock by means of short adhesive rootlets. The helix part of the name refers to where there are spirals in the leaves.

The leaves are alternate, 4-8 cm long, with a 3-10 cm long petiole; they are of two types, with palmately five-lobed juvenile leaves on creeping and climbing stems, and unlobed cordate adult leaves on fertile flowering stems exposed to full sun, usually high in the crowns of trees or the top of rock faces. The flowers are produced from late summer until late autumn, individually small, in 3-5 cm diameter greenish-yellow umbels; the fruit are small black berries ripening in late winter.

Hedera Ivies are very popular in cultivation for their evergreen foliage; many cultivars with variegated foliage and/or unusual leaf shape have been selected. They are particularly valuable for covering unsightly walls. Much has been argued as to whether ivy climbing trees will harm the tree or not; the consensus in Europe is that they do not harm trees significantly, though they may compete for ground nutrients and water to a small extent, and trees with a heavy growth of ivy can be more liable to windthrow. Problems are greater in North America, where trees may be overwhelmed by the ivy to the extent they are killed; this could be because ivy in North America, being introduced, is without the natural pests and diseases that control its vigour in its native areas. A more serious problem is that ivy creates a vigorous, dense, shade-tolerant evergreen groundcover (precisely the characteristics for which it is often cultivated) that can spread over large areas and outcompete native vegetation.