English Ivy Plant

English ivy plant, scientific name Hedera helix, belongs to the family Araliaceae, sharing genus with 15 other species of climbing vines or ground covers. Maintain English ivy as a ground cover plant and it will spread horizontally, reaching a height of about 8 inch only. Or else, it is grown as climbing vines, wherein the aerial roots help in attaching to support structures. Let's try to learn the basics of English ivy plant in terms of identification, planting, care and controlling (if necessary).

Information on English Ivy Plant

Poison ivy plant serves as an excellent vine to cover trenches and walls in the garden and also, to prevent soil erosion in sloppy areas. When speaking about English ivy houseplant, 'is English ivy plant poisonous?' is a common query among most gardening enthusiasts. Like its related species poison ivy, the English ivy leaves are poisonous to pets and humans. So, take care if you are growing it in home interiors or outdoor gardens. Refer to the following points before you plant English ivy either in indoors or outdoors:

English Ivy Plant: Identification
English ivy leaves are not retained throughout the year, even though most ivies are classified as evergreen woody plants. The leaf lobe may be shallow or deep. Also, the foliage size varies according to species; some may have small leaves, while others have larger leaves. At maturity, English ivy plant measures a height of about 5 feet from the ground, with a stem diameter of about 5 inch.

English Ivy Plant: Propagation
English ivy plant is propagated by means of stolons, stem cuttings and bare root cuttings. You can snip off the vine below the node, having a length of approximately 5 inch. Remove the leaves from the lower portion and keep it for rooting in soil or in water by following the basic tips of inducing root. Once you notice development of roots, transplant it in containers or outdoors, as per your choice.

English Ivy Plant: Growing
One of the English ivy plant facts is its popularity as perennial houseplants in zones 4 - 9, despite its poisonous leaves. English ivy planting should be done in well-drained soil and in an area that receives partial to full shade. Hence, you can successfully grow it in indoor conditions. The ideal soil pH range is between 5.2 - 7.8. As long as you provide moderate irrigation, your English ivies will grow luxuriantly.

English Ivy Plant: Care
You will notice English ivy plant growing at its peak during spring and summer months. It blooms in late spring, producing inconspicuous greenish colored flowers. Trim the plant in spring to give shape and minimize disease attacks. While maintaining English ivy plant indoors as hanging plants, make sure you give special attention, in terms of watering and checking disease infestations.

English Ivy Plant: Controlling
As poison ivy plant is introduced, but not a native to United States, there is no natural mechanism to control its spreading. Hence, keeping a check over growth and spreading of English ivy plant is an essential step, especially if you are growing it outdoors. Or else, it grows aggressively covering everything that comes on its way. Pick the leaves of English ivy in indoor gardening and prune the branches, while growing outdoors.

At times, nurseries put up English ivy plant for sale, which is the best opportunity to buy this evergreen vine at a low budget. Otherwise, English ivy saplings are commonly sold in all plant centers. In landscaping, English ivy plant is an important vine for covering bare soil in complete shade, where most other plants fail to grow properly.