Practical
Plants

Cymbalaria muralis

Kenilworth Ivy

a perennial member of the Cymbalaria genus in the family Scrophulariaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Spread
0.4 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant might be slightly toxic[13]

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw[10][2][5]. The leaves have been used in salads, being acrid and pungent like cress[10]. We find them rather bitter and not very pleasant, though they are available all year round and so might be useful in the winter[K]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The herb is antiscorbutic and vulnerary[10][12]. It is used externally as a poultice on fresh wounds to stop the bleeding[12]. There are reports that it has been used with success in India for the treatment of diabetes[10][9].

Product or use
Antiscorbutic
Product or use
Vulnerary

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A clear yellow dye is obtained from the flowers, though it is not very permanent[10][2].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
S. Europe. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Walls and other well-drained sites, shady rocks and woods, usually on calcareous soils[4][11].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow March to June in a cold frame and do not exclude light. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°c[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in late spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moderately good soil and some shade[1]. Plants usually self-sow freely[6] and can be invasive, especially when grown on old walls[7]. They succeed both on dry-stone walls and on old mortared walls[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  8. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩

  9. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  10. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  11. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  12. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2

  13. Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291

    ↩

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