Ivy climbs walls using small rootlets that grip surfaces, allowing it to reach more sunlight.

The longer version

Climbing costs far less than building a thick trunk, and ivy solves the problem with short grip roots along its stems. These grow into cracks and rough surfaces and harden once attached, holding the plant in place as it extends upward.

Reaching higher ground brings more light without the expense of heavy supporting tissue. The plant also changes form as it climbs, with shaded lower leaves differing from those exposed at the top. Once it reaches open light it can flower, something the creeping juvenile stage rarely does. The grip roots cling tightly enough that pulling them away can leave marks on brick and painted surfaces.

Where this entry sits

Plants and Trees gathers ordinary and surprising details about how green things live, from the tallest forest giants down to the moss on a garden wall. Expect notes on flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, fungi, and the quiet tricks plants use to spread and survive. The full list sits on the Plants and Trees page, where every entry is listed in order.