Ivy, with its clambering stems, glossy leaves and clusters of black berries is a familiar sight but wander past on a sunny day in early autumn and it is the subtle yellow-green flowers that will be causing a frenzy!
Flowering later than most of our nectar-rich wildflowers, Ivy flowers are a lifeline for insects well into the autumn. Their sweet honey-scent attracts hordes of bees, hornets, hoverflies and butterflies to feast on the nectar and pollen. Research conducted by the University of Sussex discovered that in autumn around 90% of the pollen that the worker Honeybees were bringing back to the hives and the nectar they were consuming was from Ivy.
Whilst we’re probably more familiar with Honeybees and bumblebees, there are around 250 species of solitary bee. One of these solitary bees is the Ivy Bee who feeds almost exclusively on Ivy pollen. Look out for these this month - they have ginger and furry with a yellow and black striped abdomen.
Ivy bee by Carey Lodge
The Ivy on the courtyard wall just as you reach the visitor centre is fantastic right now - it is busy with Ivy bees, Hornets, digger wasps and Red Admirals . Fattengates courtyard is another spot where the sunny walls are swathed in mature Ivy - perfect for pollinators!
As well as being a source of nectar and pollen, the black berries that ripen in the winter are nutritious and popular with Blackbirds and Thrushes. The pretty and delicate Holly Blue butterfly lays her eggs on ivy in the summer (on holly in the spring). Ivy provides good ground cover that lessens the effect of frost, making it possible for birds and insects to forage amongst the leaf litter in the bitter weather. On trees, the Ivy provides hiding, roosting, hibernating and nesting places for animals, birds and insects.
If you’re not convinced of its worth in terms of the wildlife it attracts and supports, you could try wearing a wreath of ivy leaves around your head. According to folklore connected to the Roman God Bacchus this might prevent you from getting drunk!