IN THE GARDEN BLOOMING IVY IS IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN.

Byline: JOSHUA SISKIN

Have you ever seen ivy in bloom?

In the Valley, blooming ivy is encountered in neglected, sunny patches, often after it has vined up a tree or utility pole. Ivy that is regularly cut back, or ivy kept forever in the shade, will never flower. The pointed leaves and trailing growth habit associated with ivy - which happens to be the Valley's most popular ground cover - are juvenile characteristics. An adult ivy plant has leaves with smooth margins and clusters of small, cream colored, drumstick flowers.

Shrub and tree ivies are occasionally seen in local landscapes. They flower in the fall and, in contrast to the familiar ground cover types, exhibit controlled growth and will never creep or climb. Many captivating varieties of so-called bush or tree ivy have been cloned and are available in the nursery trade. Bush ivies make excellent topiary subjects and some are renowned for their toughness, surviving on little water and tolerating salt spray when grown near the ocean. The `Peppermint' variety has green-and-cream-colored foliage, reaches a height of 6 feet, and will thrive in either sun or shade. Tree ivies are accessible through the Internet at www.plantdelights.com.

Regular trailing ivy can become a problem if, once established, it is not cut back to the ground every few years. Where ivy is allowed to build thatch, it often becomes a haven for rodents. This problem is compounded where palm trees are allowed to grow unpruned in the midst of the ivy. Rodents seem to find this combination of aerial and terrestrial hide-outs irresistible; some will take refuge in the ivy while others will build sanctuaries in the palms.

Ivy belongs to the aralia, or ginseng, family of plants. Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica) is strictly for shade and has large, deeply lobed leaves to prove it. Leaf size is nearly always a function of the availability of light; where sunshine is scarce, huge leaves make it possible for a plant of average stature - Japanese aralia grows to about 5 feet tall and wide - to trap those few photons of light that manage to slip through the thick layer of forest vegetation overhead.

False aralia (Dizygotheca elegantissima) may be grown either indoors or in a protected location outside. Do not be fooled by its name; false aralia is the real deal, an indoor plant whose understated beauty is difficult to ignore. It has delicate, compound grayish-green leaves with long, narrow leaflets bearing saw-toothed serration. In the manner of ivy, it undergoes a radical foliar transformation as it ages. Leaves become less serrated and a brighter shade of green. Keep it pruned out on a regular basis both to prolong its more attractive, juvenile phase and to reduce the predations of mealy bugs and white flies.

The rice paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifera) is named for the function served by its pith or stem tissue, which is pounded into thin sheets of colored paper in its native China. It is a curious plant indeed, reaching about 12 feet in height, with gawky growth habit and oversize parasol leaves. Pruning requires a face mask since the volatile brown dust that clings to its foliage can easily enter your nose and mouth and get stuck in your sinus passages. In common with its relatives in the ginseng family mentioned above, if may be cut back radically if it gets out of hand and, soon enough, regrow to full stature.

TIP OF THE WEEK: The umbrella plants or scheffleras merit consideration as easy-care container plants. Some are shrubby and others are arboreal but, in the predictable manner of aralias, all are numbered among the most shade-tolerant of species. Sun-starved patios or balconies will benefit from the adornment of a schefflera or two.