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English Ivy

4.4 out of 5 (532 experiences)

Fast grower

Survivor

About English Ivy

Plants in the Hedera genus are commonly known as Ivy, and are native to Eurasia and northern Africa although they've been introduced and are now common in the Americas and Australia. They're excellent climbers and have been known to grow on buildings and trees to over 100ft/30m tall! 🪜 You'll often see wreathes of ivy in Ancient Roman works of art, as they were believed to prevent intoxication. 🍷

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Hedera helix

Genus

Hedera

Family

Araliaceae

Order

Apiales

Also known as

Ivy, Common Ivy, Little Hermann Vvy, Garland Ivy, Dark Pittsburgh Ivy, Royal Hustler Ivy, Ingrid Liz Ivy, designer Ivy, kings choice ivy, Dark Pittsburg Ivy, Mini Adam Ivy, Little Hermann Ivy and Sweetheart Ivy

How to care for English Ivy

💦 Water

How often to water your English Ivy

English Ivy needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for English Ivy in your home

English Ivy may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of English Ivy in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize English Ivy

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for English Ivy: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your English Ivy after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Hedera

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

English Ivy is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Common English Ivy Problems →

💦 Water Needs

English Ivy prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

English Ivy Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

English Ivy may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

English Ivy is extremely dangerous if consumed. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian immediately. English Ivy is not recommended for homes with children, cats, or dogs.

Is English Ivy Edible? →

English Ivy Toxicity to Cats →

English Ivy Toxicity to Dogs →

English Ivy Toxicity to Humans →

💨 Humidity

English Ivy doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

🪴 Soil

English Ivy does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

What Are Healthy English Ivy Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

English Ivy grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

🌎 Native Region

English Ivy is native to Western Europe to Japan.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your English Ivy bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Is English Ivy an Annual Plant? →

Is English Ivy a Perennial Plant? →

Common English Ivy Flower Problems →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

English Ivy is a naturally climbing plant and can be trained to climb indoors if you provide a moss pole or trellis. The newest growth will emerge from the end of the stems.

English Ivy Lifecycle →

English Ivy Size Guide →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
English Ivy can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 4a-9b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

English Ivy Hardiness Zones →

Is English Ivy a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

English Ivy can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:

Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in English Ivy, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.

Common Bugs Affecting English Ivy →

What Eats English Ivy? →

Care Summary for English Ivy

English Ivy

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Fast grower 312

Survivor 243

Large, lush leaves 108

Easy to propagate 100

Browns easily 88

Pest magnet 29

Blooms easily 21

@@Vikas_plants

3 Plants

85 XP

04/05/2022

It’s not a beginner plant

Easy to propagate

Pest magnet

Browns easily

English Ivy plant photo by @Vikas_plants named Ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@IdealSalad

5 Plants

88 XP

Ayden, NC

04/02/2022

Make sure you have an appropriate size pot.

Fast grower

Survivor

English Ivy plant photo by @IdealSalad named English Ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@cobie

14 Plants

837 XP

03/19/2022

it grows VERY fast and you will have to trim it quite a lot

Easy to propagate

English Ivy plant photo by @cobie named Blaire on Greg, the plant care app.

@@ExecJavamoss

2 Plants

31 XP

Maricopa, AZ

03/14/2022

Give it some light

Fast grower

English Ivy plant photo by @ExecJavamoss named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@YesSalad

5 Plants

69 XP

Augusta, ME

02/27/2022

Love my Ivy baby

Fast grower

English Ivy plant photo by @YesSalad named Ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@haleyd111

17 Plants

1,263 XP

Poughkeepsie, NY

02/04/2022

great plant! doesnt need too much watering!

Survivor

English Ivy plant photo by @haleyd111 named Zeus on Greg, the plant care app.

@Roberto

0 Plants

36 XP

New York

01/28/2022

great plant foliage for my kitchen window in a nyc apartment

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Blooms easily

English Ivy plant photo by Roberto named ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@Lauren

8 Plants

202 XP

Kings Park, NY

01/23/2022

This ivy plant seems to need room temp with semi light. Water every 4-6 days.

Large, lush leaves

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Survivor

English Ivy plant photo by Lauren named Duke on Greg, the plant care app.

@@georgiakatex

2 Plants

112 XP

01/10/2022

This plant is super easy to take care of, you should only need to water it every 6-10 days in the summer and every 10-14 days in the winter. Keep it away from direct sunlight. Grows quite quickly so choose the spot for your plant wisely.

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Large, lush leaves

English Ivy plant photo by @georgiakatex named Jeremy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@FastTawapou

2 Plants

36 XP

Beaumont, CA

01/05/2022

i instantly fell in love with this plant when i saw it, the leaves are beautiful and the plant itself was just gorgeous

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Survivor

English Ivy plant photo by @FastTawapou named ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@PlantEuphoria

37 Plants

6,156 XP

Foley, AL

12/29/2021

I love my Ivy plant. It’s not fussy at all. It’s in an east facing window with indirect light and it’s loving it. I let it dry out between waterings.

Fast grower

English Ivy plant photo by @PlantEuphoria named Tolkien on Greg, the plant care app.

@@mossycabbages

66 Plants

3,455 XP

12/28/2021

This plant grows very quickly but can be kind of dramatic when underwatered

Fast grower

English Ivy plant photo by @mossycabbages named Mando on Greg, the plant care app.

@@EternalCaleypea

12 Plants

224 XP

Conroe, TX

12/26/2021

Difficult plant in my experience. But I do not have a green thumb

English Ivy plant photo by @EternalCaleypea named Fiona on Greg, the plant care app.

@Leigh

4 Plants

100 XP

Noblesville, IN

12/07/2021

Needs good drainage! Also make sure it’s no receiving light that’s too intense or it will burn the leaves. Perfect for a kitchen house plant

Survivor

Easy to propagate

English Ivy plant photo by Leigh named English Ivy on Greg, the plant care app.

@Adrienne

3 Plants

72 XP

Arcadia, CA

12/06/2021

Starting ivy is not for the faint of heart, but if you screw up you can keep trying until you figure it out

Survivor

Browns easily

English Ivy plant photo by Adrienne named Seriphus on Greg, the plant care app.

@@opheliaio

12 Plants

2,900 XP

Attleboro, MA

12/03/2021

everyone says ivies are super easy but i disagree. i live in a dry room and she needs constant misting and watering to stay alive and keep spider mites away (her biggest problem). she is leggy and her leaves are sparse, and often drops leaves. i put her in a west-facing window for a week which encouraged a lot of new growth but also lots of browned leaves. would probably thrive best in a humid environment in a north or south facing window.

Fast grower

Browns easily

Pest magnet

English Ivy plant photo by @opheliaio named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@valentheral

3 Plants

101 XP

11/16/2021

English Ivy is a beautiful addition to any collection with its elegant leaves and sleek stem. They’re very low maintenance, but do require more water than one might think. Sometimes the leaves can get a little dry if you live in an arid climate, so I like to mist Esmeralda’s leaves occasionally. These are SUPER easy to propagate—just cut a piece of stem with some leaves and stick it in water (the roots do take a little longer than most, so just be sure to change the water frequently to prevent slimy roots). As with any plant, English Ivy enjoys a little bit of fertilizer now and then—when I give Es some, her leaves perk up significantly.

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Fast grower

English Ivy plant photo by @valentheral named Esmeralda on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Morgs

19 Plants

1,019 XP

Chicago, IL

11/15/2021

The most beautiful plant!! As it grows it will have these beautiful long veins that amazing! Keep up with watering or it will brown. Easy plant to keep happy & looks very pretty!

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Blooms easily

Survivor

Browns easily