Ivy Leaved Toadflax
Botanical Name: Cymbalaria muralis
Other names:
Aaron’s beard, climbing sailor, creeping jenny, ivywort, Kenilworth ivy, mother
of millions, mother of thousands, nanny goat’s mouth, Oxford weed, pedlar’s
basket, penywort, rabbit, roving jenny, roving sailor, the herb of Madonna (Erba
belle Madonna), thousand flower, wandering Jew
Habitat: Old walls,
hedges, woods, pavements, rocky places
Description:
Small trailing plant up to 60cm/24in in length. Stems: long slender. Leaves:
small ivy shaped, lobed, alternate. Flowers tiny snapdragon lilac-violet with
a yellow patch on lower lip April-November
Native to: Mediterranean
Naturalised in: Britain
Actions: Anti-scorbutic
Other Notes:
Introduced in the 17th century to Britain
Pollinated by bees
Used in witchcraft for
protection
The flowers produce a non-permanent
yellow dye
