Ivy has been used as part of Christmas traditions for many years; its evergreen foliage symbolises eternity and resurrection and was commonly used by ancient Greeks in garlands for religious ceremonies. The plant was often strongly associated with wine or wine-making, and would be tied to a pole to indicate a place where wine or alcohol was for sale. You are less likely to see ivy used in wreaths at Christmas compared to other plants such as holly or mistletoe now, because of its association with drunkenness. But a plant that had its own Christmas carol based upon it just had to have a spot on our list!
12 Plants of Christmas – Ivy
