Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Ivy-leaved toadflax is a tiny trailing plant that grows straight out of walls, stone steps, and rock crevices. Native to southern Europe, it has escaped from gardens across much of the US, especially in the Midwest, Northeast, and West Coast. After a flower is pollinated, its stalk bends away from the light and tucks the seed capsule into a dark crack. It is also called Kenilworth ivy.

Appearance

Growth form: A low, mat-forming plant only 2–3 in (5–8 cm) tall, with stems that root at the nodes and can trail up to about 30 in (80 cm).
Leaves: Rounded, kidney-shaped leaves, usually with five shallow lobes, on purplish stalks. The undersides are often tinged purple.
Flowers: Small lilac flowers shaped like snapdragons, with a yellow patch at the throat and a short spur. All-white flowers are rare.
Flowering time: In North America it blooms from about May to October.
Fruit: A round capsule about 1/8–1/4 in (3–6 mm) across, holding tiny, warty seeds.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: old walls
rock crevices
stone steps
gardens
Range: Native to the southern Alps, Italy, and the northwestern Balkans. In North America it is in much of the US and parts of Canada.
Preferred conditions: Thrives where there is almost no soil, such as cracks in mortar and rock. Garden plants do well in part to deep shade.
Flowering: Flowers May–Oct
Flowers May–Oct

Life cycle

Seed dispersal: Flower stalks grow toward light while blooming, then turn away from it after pollination, pushing the capsules into dark crevices where the seeds sprout more easily.

Growing it

Care: Sometimes planted as a groundcover for rock gardens, slopes, and hanging baskets; hardy in USDA zones 5–8. It does not like heat or humidity. 'Snow Wave' is a variegated selection.