Hedera helix

Common Names

Ivy, Common Ivy, English Ivy, European Ivy

Summary

Common ivy is an evergreen woody climber or ground cover native to Europe and Western Asia, juvenile leaves are 3–5 lobed and dark green, adult leaves are unlobed, it climbs by aerial rootlets and spreads as ground cover with fast growth and year‑round foliage, flowers form in umbrella‑like greenish‑white clusters followed by blue‑black berries, cultivation and uses include USDA zones 4–9, tolerates full sun to full shade and a range of soils from moist to well‑drained, highly adaptable but invasive in many regions, pruning helps control spread and maintain form, uses include evergreen ground cover for foundations, walls, embankments, or as climbers on vertical structures, also grown as a houseplant or for topiary shapes

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12 inches to 3.5 feet

Spread

3-50 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-9

Sunlight Requirements

Partial Sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained, fertile loam with a pH of 5.5–7.0

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

pH 6.5 (ideal)

Bloom Color

Greenish-white, pale green, yellowish-green, greenish-yellow

Bloom Time

Fall

Foliage Color

Green, dark green to evergreen, variegated forms with white/cream/yellow margins, leaves with dark green tops and whitish-green undersides.

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, other pollinators, and birds