Appearance

Growth form

This evergreen woody vine creeps as dense ground cover or climbs with many short aerial roots.

Leaves

Juvenile leaves usually have three to five lobes and pale veins. Leaves on mature, sun-exposed flowering stems are unlobed and oval to diamond-shaped.

Flowers

Mature vines produce small greenish-yellow flowers in round clusters, followed by dark berries.

Flowering time

Flowers usually appear in fall, and fruits ripen from winter into spring.

Fruit

The berry-like fruits turn dark blue, purple, or black and contain several seeds.

Look-alikes

Boston IvyParthenocissus tricuspidata

English ivy stays evergreen and grips surfaces with aerial roots. Boston ivy is deciduous, turns bright red to purple in fall, and attaches with adhesive disks at the ends of tendrils.

Why they get mixed up · Both are woody vines with lobed leaves that commonly cover masonry walls.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• gardens and walls
• woodland edges
• disturbed forests

Range

It is native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia but is nonnative and widely established in the United States. It occurs in much of the East and along the Pacific Coast and is especially invasive in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon places English ivy under a noxious weed quarantine.

Preferred conditions

It tolerates deep shade as well as sun and grows best in moist, well-drained soil, though established plants handle a wide range of conditions.

Life cycle

Seed dispersal

Birds eat the fruits and can carry seeds away from planted sites.

Growing it

Care

Many cultivars are sold as houseplants or ground covers, but local invasive-plant rules should be checked before outdoor planting. In suitable sites, it can survive winters in hardiness zone 4.

Propagation

Stems root at nodes that touch the ground, and stem or root fragments can start new growth.

Toxicity

Eating leaves or berries can cause illness, and the sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people. It is also a concern for pets.

Connected species

Seed dispersers

• American RobinTurdus migratorius

  In North America, robins can carry seeds after eating English ivy fruit.

• Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum

  In North America, cedar waxwings are among birds that spread its seeds.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Hundreds of garden cultivars vary in leaf size, shape, curl, and white or yellow variegation.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Threats

Dense ivy mats can crowd out native plants, while climbing vines add weight to trees and can reach the canopy.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• Despite the name, the vine that gives many U.S. college walls their classic look is often Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) rather than English ivy.