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Cape-ivy
Scientific Name: Delairea odorata
Family: Asteraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb, Vine
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata)
Considerations for Pets
- Cape ivy is a vine with thin but slightly fleshy leaves.
Considerations for Children
- Cape ivy is a vine with thin but slightly fleshy leaves.
Common Names
- Cape Ivy
- German Ivy
- Italian Ivy
- Ivy Groundsel
- Mile-A-Minute
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Delairea odorata
- Family: Asteraceae (also known as Compositae)
- Group: Dicot
- Synonyms: Previously included in the genus Senecio as Senecio mikanioides. Also referred to as Senecio angulatus and Senecio mikanoides.
- Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Asterales: Asteraceae
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to South Africa, where it is a well-behaved, non-invasive component of its ecosystem.
- Widely distributed along the coast of California and southern Oregon. Also invasive in Hawaii.
- Habitats include riparian corridors and seasonal wetlands.
Ecological Role
- Considered a noxious weed in New Zealand.
- Listed as an A-1 invasive plant (most invasive wild land pest plant) in California.
- Regarded as the most threatening exotic weed in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
- It is an aggressive smothering vine that rapidly forms thick mats of twining foliage which smothers nearby vegetation.
- Invasive in Hawaii, where it is reported by the Hawaii Early Detection Network.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Perennial vine with shiny, five- to six-pointed leaves, usually with two small stipule-like lobes. There is one leaf at each node.
- Non-woody vine with thin but slightly fleshy, glossy leaves with angular lobes.
- Flowers are yellow and daisy-like, but lacking conspicuous petals. The flowers are fragrant.
- Spreads by vegetative means, mainly by stem fragments rooting at nodes.
- Plants produce more than 40,000 seeds per year.
- Vigorous perennial vine with succulent twining stems.
- Leaves are fleshy and hairless, and lobed.
- Can grow to 4 or more meters high.
- It is deciduous, but can be evergreen at favorable sites.
Quirky Facts
- The name "odorata" refers to its sweet fragrance when in flower or when crushed.
- Cape Ivy is so-called because it comes from the Cape region of South Africa and has ivy-like leaves.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Has a high potential for negative impacts on native plants and wildlife species.
- Smothers and outcompetes native vegetation, especially along coastal streams.
Further Information
- CalPhotos: Contains images of Delairea odorata.
- Plants of Hawaii: Provides images and information for Delairea odorata (Cape ivy, German ivy) by Forest and Kim Starr.
- Dave's Garden: A community website where people share tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.