Perfect Plants English Ivy

Fast Growth & Easy Care for this Common Ivy!

A popular indoor houseplant grown for its trailing vines and beautiful foliage, the English Ivy shrub, Hedera helix, or Common Ivy, is great for either indoor or outdoor use.

With dark green leaves the indoor Ivy plant can add a pop of color to any room or landscape it is planted in. The heart-shaped leaves are strictly ornamental and will stay attached to the woody vines all year long even during winter.

It is a vigorously growing evergreen perennial that will spread to the area it is planted in as a ground cover. The English Ivy grows best where it can attach itself to something to grow along such as a wall, fence, trellis, or other structure. Another option would be to have it in a hanging basket where its long vines can be seen and enjoyed.

English Ivy Care Indoors

Grow the common ivy across the United States in USDA hardiness zones 4-11. It can be grown indoors or outdoors with ease and prefers well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. We recommend using a pot with a drainage hole if being planted in a container.

The fast-growing evergreen vine can reach up to 10 feet long and up to 1 foot tall at maturity. It is commonly seen shorter in baskets where the stems will trail downwards.

How to Take Care of an Ivy Plant

Water thoroughly until well established. It will need more water in hotter areas and will benefit from a thick layer of mulch at the base of the root ball in colder locations to help retain moisture and protect itself. It is easy to grow in a wide range of climates and can adapt to most sites it in planted in. The ornamental plant has some drought tolerance once established but evenly moist soil will provide the most even foliage color distribution amongst the leaves.

Bright, indirect light is best to keep the Ivy looking clean and proper. Direct sunlight will scorch the delicate leaves and cause them to turn brown. A full shaded or part shaded area outdoors or behind a curtain indoors near a window is best to keep the ivy plant happy in low light. When growing ivy indoors use a well-draining potting soil that has perlite in it to help aerate the roots.

English Ivy will benefit from an annual application of slow release fertilizer to give it a good boost of nutrients to encourage growth. You can prune the ivy at any time to maintain the desired size and shape.

The Hedera Helix Ivy vines are deer and rabbit resistant. We recommend planting this in your winter garden or as an indoor plant.

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Check out our Indoor Plant Care Guide for more information regarding how to cultivate these house plants.