colchis ivy

Hedera colchica (K.Koch) K.Koch

Colchis ivy is a long-lived evergreen vine that can climb high on supporting surfaces or spread across the ground. Brown stems develop clinging aerial rootlets, and trailing shoots can root as they extend. In favorable conditions it becomes a substantial plant, with climbing growth approaching 30 m. NC State Extension: Hedera colchica

Botanical name

Hedera colchica (K.Koch) K.Koch is accepted in Araliaceae. The supplied name differs only in author spacing; Hedera helix var. colchica is its earlier combination. Kew Plants of the World Online: Hedera colchica

Recognizing the plant

Its large, glossy, leathery leaves are among the most conspicuous features. They can reach roughly 25 cm long and 15 cm wide, though size and outline vary. Broadly oval or heart-shaped, unlobed leaves are common, especially on flowering shoots. Small greenish flowers are gathered into rounded umbels; each cluster contains many individual blooms rather than a single flower. The rounded fruits turn black as they ripen. NC State Extension: Hedera colchica

Bloom window

North Carolina, United States

In North Carolina’s horticultural account, flowers appear from late summer into autumn and ripe fruits are displayed in winter. NC State Extension: Hedera colchica

Native range

The species is native from northern Turkey to the western Caucasus. In its natural range it grows beneath deciduous and evergreen woodland, sometimes also in more open situations. It has been introduced to western Europe and parts of the United States. Kew Plants of the World Online: Hedera colchica Bouteloua 25: Hedera colchica, habitat and distribution

Ecological relationships

Bees visit the flowers. NC State Extension: Hedera colchica

Birds eat the black fruits and disperse the seeds. NC State Extension: Hedera colchica

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.