My Plant List: Kenilworth Ivy – A Tiny Vine

I need more plants for shade.

I will be looking for another new plant (or seeds) for my shadier garden, and I think I have a candidate. It is called Kenilworth Ivy or Cymbalaria muralis and I think it is a pretty perennial which meets my shade garden needs. Other names it is known by: Linaria Cymbalaria, Ivy-Leaved Toadflax, and Coliseum Ivy.

According to the information I have found on it, Kenilworth Ivy will meets my requirements. Truthfully, I already have this plant in my garden. Once about ten years ago, I planted it in my shade garden around the retaining wall bricks.

I went out and checked before the snow this past few days and it is there, surviving, keeping hold on its stone “trellis,” though it seems a little lackluster. It was December when I took this pictures and the plant was not  at its finest time. I haven’t given it any special attention and really had not even noticed I still had it. I will remember to give it a lot more attention this year.

Seeds are available for this plant and this ground cover can take a little light foot traffic.

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Note: You may want to check for any information about the plants invasive tendencies in your area. After some comments on Facebook, I have checked out the information on listings for invasive plants. This varies so much by area that it makes it difficult to make a judgement about any single plant. So check out the info for your zone and garden prior to introducing any plant.

I can’t believe my favorite Cosmos is listed on the invasive lists. Who knew?

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/invasive.htm

http://www.invasive.org/index.cfm

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But I am interested in putting in the retaining wall stones. And especially for my hypertufa troughs and bowls. I think this vine cascading around the side of a large landscape planter (of course made from hypertufa!) will be a perfect look.

And since this blooms throughout the spring and summer, it will add just the look I need in that shade area. This shade garden area is full of foliage plants and is shady and pretty moist most of the time, so my astilbe and heuchera are slowly spreading and covering the area. So a large landscape planter will be perfect for here.

Stats on this plant:

• Zone 5-9
• Partial shade to Full shade
• Moist but well drained
• Height: 4 inches
• Spread: 1ft to indefinite
• Will self seed
• Blooming: spring to fall, tiny violet flowers

I will try and nurture the small piece I still have surviving, but meanwhile I will check in spring for another new start. Do you have any ideas for me for a great new plant? Container garden plants are perfect if you have a recommendation.