The Scottish Government

Species

Characteristics

Use

Honeysuckle
( Lonicera periclymenum)

• Honeysuckle is not fussy about soil as long as it is not waterlogged. It can climb up to 10 metres high into the canopy of deciduous trees. The yellow/pink flowers in June have a powerful scent and attract moths during the night. The red berries that follow attract coal tits, mistle thrushes and robins. It is generally free from serious pests and diseases.
• Honeysuckle is a common component of lowland deciduous woodlands throughout Scotland.

• Honeysuckle is an underused component of woodland planting. It can be grown and planted as a multi-species unit providing early ground cover and subsequently a climber as the trees grow.
• It is a valuable plant to promote biodiversity and also amenity.
• It can be grown up dead trees, environmental barriers and high roadside fences.

Ivy
( Hedera helix)

• Ivy is an evergreen self-supporting climber. It is shade tolerant yet will grow in direct light. It produces yellow flowers in winter. The berries ripen in the spring and provide food for birds, especially blackbirds and thrushes. Contrary to popular belief, ivy is not a parasite and does no more than superficial damage to the bark surface when it grows up trees for support. It can be argued that on old trees its weight can cause slightly premature tree collapse but overall it is beneficial.
• Ivy has adapted to living in deciduous woodland and elsewhere throughout Scotland.

• Ivy is a useful plant to screen unattractive roadside features such as retaining walls, fences, and gabion baskets. The leaves are susceptible to spray damage in the winter but they soon recover in the spring.
• It will grow on the ground, forming a dense mat capable of smothering weeds and consequently contributing to sustainable management. It is often criticised when used in this way in woodlands for preventing a diverse ground flora from developing. The smothering mat of ivy however quickly becomes host to a teeming mass of seldom seen invertebrates contributing to biodiversity.
• Like honeysuckle, ivy makes a good companion plant. It grows particularly well with oak and ash in woodland planting mixes. Ivy cover on trees is thought to be important for summer roosting bats and is definitely important for nesting birds and insects.