Hedera helix
English Ivy
Common names: Common Ivy
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Spacing
- 50 cm, rows 80 cm
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is a hardy, evergreen climber suited to shady walls and trees, ascending with adhesive roots. Its late flowers in September and October provide one of the last nectar sources for bees and hoverflies before winter, while the black berries serve as a winter food supply for birds. Both berries and leaves are toxic to humans.
Care instructions
Plant English Ivy in semi‑shaded to shaded locations; it thrives on almost any soil. Water regularly during the first few years, then it requires little maintenance. Prune heavily in spring (around week 15 of the year) to maintain shape if it becomes too vigorous, and check that it does not grow into masonry or under roof tiles.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, loamy, well-drained
Ivy likes humus-rich, fresh and free-draining soil. Sandy-loamy mixes are ideal. It does not tolerate waterlogging, so on heavy soils make sure there is drainage and work in some sand and compost. Lime is no problem: ivy copes equally well with weakly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In humus-rich garden soil, ivy as a light feeder usually needs no feeding at all. On leaner soils, work a thin layer of mature compost and some horn shavings shallowly into the root zone in spring. If growth stays weak, a second light dose of compost in summer is possible.
Overwintering
Outdoors, ivy is fully hardy and needs no protection. Simply leave it standing and water occasionally on frost-free days so that the evergreen leaves do not dry out. In a container, stand the pot on an insulating base and wrap it in horticultural fleece or a hessian sack in severe lasting frost; cover variegated cultivars additionally with brushwood or fleece.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
- Division
Ivy is most reliably propagated by cuttings, best from May to July, when the plant is growing actively. Cut healthy, one-year-old shoots 10 to 15 cm long, remove the lower leaves and put the shoots in a mix of seed compost and sand. Cover the pot loosely with film or put it in a plastic bag so that the moisture is retained. After 4 to 6 weeks at 18 to 20 °C and in a partially shaded spot, roots have formed. Alternatively, rooting in a glass of water works: simply stand the cutting in low-lime water, change it weekly and replant it after 2 to 4 weeks, once the roots are about 2 to 3 cm long. For layering, bend a long shoot to the side, press the middle part about 1 to 2 cm deep into a pot of soil standing next to it and fix it with a wire staple. The mother plant keeps supplying the shoot; after 8 to 12 weeks roots have formed, and then you can separate the shoot. Older, dense ivy plants can also be propagated by division: dig up the root ball, divide it into sections with at least 3 to 4 shoots each and plant the pieces straight away. This method suits spring or early autumn best. Wear gloves when working with ivy, as all parts of the plant contain skin-irritating substances.
For your garden
Grow English Ivy yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?