The peak of the snowdrops is perhaps still two weeks off in my part of Yorkshire, meaning there is still not much of interest in local woods and hedge banks as we hit 'mud month' (that really is an old and very apt name for February). Thankfully, there is a little colour around here and there in the form of escaped cultivars of Common Ivy (Hedera helix).
Two golden forms caught my eye today as I slopped around Woodlesford (VC63).
'Goldchild' is a distinctive form with moderately large (for H. helix) thin leaves. It is a relatively modern cultivar coming into cultivation from the 1970's,
Not too far away was this smaller, glossier and more leathery leaved form. In comparison with the above, the gold patterning is much less extensive than the patches of green and grey-green. This seems to be 'Tricolor' which is a very old cultivar that originates before 1865. I can see why it has remained popular for so long. It is meant to develop a pink edge to the leaf in autumn but this is not apparent here.
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