Belonging to the Hedera genus of the Ginseng family is Ivies. For the uninitiated, these are beautiful plants, defined by their variegated leaves and aerial roots.
Ivies come in multiple variants, but the English ivy is the most common type. This plant variant is widely found adorning brick walls, with wide stems bearing three to five lobes. Upon reaching the top of their support, these plants start growing horizontally or hanging.
The beautiful plant is native to the European part, but they’re widely available across different parts of the world including Asia.
The ivy plants are a major favorite for home gardeners, and probably that’s because they’re easy to grow and maintain. Unlike most plants, Ivies do not have strict soil requirements, so they can effectively thrive under a variety of growing conditions.
Some variants don’t even need strong light and will grow well whether in the sun or shade.
But what are some of the variants out there?
Well, in this article, we will discuss 20 different types of Ivy plants that can be easily grown in your home gardens.
20 Different Types of Ivy plants That Can be Easily Grown in Your Home Gardens
Ivy plants are available in a wide range of variants. These include:
1. North African Ivy
The first type on our list is the North African Ivy, also known as the Canary Island Ivy. This variant thrives well in hardiness zones ranging from 6 to 10.
The Ivy variety has a leathery, almost lobed appearance with stunningly glossy dark green leaves. The stems are hardy, featuring a dash of reddish tinge on them.
If you are planning to grow the North African Ivy at home, do it in moist soil. The species can tolerate direct sunlight much better compared to the common English Ivy.
On growth rate, the North African Ivy grows significantly faster. Plus, they feature beautiful foliage and solid stems, so they are one of the best choices as a groundcover. But if you want to use them in containers or as hanging baskets, they’re also a perfect fit for the purpose.
There is, however, one major issue with growing this type of Ivy. Since the African Ivy is born in areas receiving plenty of sunlight, it does not fare well in cooler climates. So, if living in a cool climate, you might want to consider moving them indoors in the colder months, or else they may die.
2. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Coming second on the list is the most popular type — the English Ivy. These plants grow significantly fast and are available in two popular forms:
- The Juvenile variant
- Mature adult variant
The juvenile form tends to grow in lobed patterns with bright green leaves. These are also the variants of Ivy whose stems do not come with any flowers.
On the other hand, the mature adult Ivy grows with stunning dark green leaves and stems. Also, unlike the juvenile, mature adult Ivy does bear flowers, and they are greenish with a tinge of white during the fall months. But when summer rolls around, you will notice yellow orangish flowers.
When planting English Ivies, keep in mind that they thrive best in hanging baskets, but they can also be used as groundcovers. But that’s not all — if you have an unattractive fence or wall, you might want to use this beautiful plant.
3. Persian Ivy (Hedera Colchica)
The Persian Ivy has stunning heart-shaped leaves ranging from 4 to 10 inches long. Their distinguishing feature is the size of their leaves, which are probably the largest of any Ivy plant. The leaves are variegated, but they can also feature solid colors.
While the Persian variant can withstand several instances of drought, it thrives best in moist, well-draining loamy soil. They are also significantly heat tolerant than most other variants, though they perform really well in shaded areas.
Persian Ivies can grow vigorously fast, and this very growth might end up being a problem if left unchecked. That is why it is vital to closely observe the plant and prune it whenever necessary to prevent it from choking other plants in its proximity.
4. Algerian Ivy
Algerian Ivies can grow up to a whopping 10 feet in height and assume a width of 3 feet. They come with beautiful, dark, and luscious leaves that resemble the shape of the heart. The leaves are around four to five inches across and come with a perfectly creamy trim.
Overall, this plant is incredibly colorful, stunningly dramatic, and perfect for all kinds of trellises. You might also want to grow them on slopes and walls.
Plus, the Algerian Ivy can tolerate some level of drought and thrives best under full sun and partial shade. In the case of soil, you will need to ensure that it is consistently well-drained.
5. Irish Ivy (Hedera Hibernica)
Popularly known as the Hedera Hibernica, the Irish Ivy comes with many similar traits to the English Ivy. It also shares the same USDA hardiness areas and growing habits. Thanks to these similarities, the Irish Ivy is often confused with its English counterpart.
While the Irish Ivy is just as popular, it is still not grown in certain areas, as people continue to deem it invasive or noxious. Certain administrative departments even consider it a nuisance, taking up measures to get rid of it every time it is spotted in a public encroachment.
Regardless of the reputation, homeowners absolutely love this variant of Ivy, and it can be planted almost anywhere in your garden. Generally, it’s low-maintenance and incredibly hardy variety.
6. Japanese Ivy (Hedera Rhombea)
Native to the East Asian region, the Japanese Ivy is found to be growing on slopes of rocks, tree trunks, and across woodlands.
It is an evergreen plant and is best known as a woody climber. Thanks to these qualities, the Japanese Ivy serves an excellent role as a groundcover in almost all vertical areas.
The unique aspect of the Japanese Ivy lies in its purplish stems and its glossy foliage. The leaves of these plants take the shape of a rhombus, and they often produce small clumps of yellowish-green flowers that further develop into tiny berries.
When cross-pollinated, the Japanese Ivy is likely to feature stunningly beautiful creamy streaks. The variety prefers well-drained fertile soil with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5, meaning they prefer neutral or slightly acidic conditions.
7. Russian Ivy (Hedera Pastuchovii)
As evident from the name, this Ivy plant is native to Russian regions, though it can be found in parts of Armenia and Iran. Being an evergreen climber, the Russian Ivy can reach a height of up to 100 feet with ample support.
Unlike other variants of Ivy, it doesn’t tend to crawl and, therefore won’t serve as an excellent groundcover. Instead, you can plant this Ivy near a lofty structure to which it can climb.
This Ivy thrives best in hardiness zones ranging from 7 to 12, though you can grow it in colder regions with precautions. The foliage of the Russian Ivy tends to be mid-green and stretches in a heart shape that reaches a deep point.
8. Needlepoint
This English Ivy variant comes with tiny leaves placed close to each other. The dark green leaves of the Needlepoint come with sharp lobes and a strikingly ornamental look.
Needlepoint Ivies can be found in hanging baskets or on stone walls as a clinging vine. They can assume a height of up to 3 feet and look great in containers owing to their decorative nature.
9. German Ivy
Buy From Amazon
Also known as the Cape Ivy, these are wild Ivies found across the Californian coasts. If you are lucky, you might also find them in forests and wetlands, but never in dry environments.
So, if the area where you’re growing the German Ivy is dry enough, they may end up dying. Luckily, they will also revive after the rains return, so you needn’t be as worked up about their early demise.
10. Bullock’s Heart Ivy
For an Ivy that produces different varieties of flowers, the Bullock’s Heart Ivy might just be your best bet.
It isn’t one of the tallest varieties. But still, this plant can stretch up to a whopping 40 feet in height and thrive best in hardiness zones 6 to 9.
And yes, caring for the Bullock’s Heart Ivy is quite simple, and they do not require much maintenance throughout their lifetime.
11. Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Australis)
Buy from Amazon
If you’re looking for an Ivy plant that’ll assume a lofty height, the Swedish Ivy may not be the one for you; otherwise, it is an excellent Ivy for anyone living in hardiness zones 10 and 11.
The Swedish Ivy enjoys partial shade and requires consistently well-drained, humus-rich soil. It stands out with its erect stems, and vibrant leaves, making it an excellent groundcover.
The Swedish Ivy boasts trailing vines that can reach two to three feet and the plant serves better as houseplants than garden plants. You can keep them in a hanging basket or place them on decks and patios. Either way, they will not disappoint you!
12. Ivalace
Buy from Amazon
This is yet another English Ivy variant that will make one of the best houseplants. The Ivalace boasts shiny leaves with a cupped and lacy appearance and stretching up to one inch. Their leaf edges are quite curvy, adding to their uniqueness.
The Ivalace can assume a height of three feet and a width of four feet. It’s a fast-growing plant and makes an excellent houseplant, though you can use it as a groundcover in certain areas.
While growing this plant home, ensure it is duly sheltered from cold winds. The variant thrives well under full or partial sunlight.
13. Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus Tricuspidata)
Buy from Amazon
Since the Boston Ivy is not a part of the Hedera genus, it is not deemed to be a true Ivy. However, it is still popular as an Ivy plant and is widely found in East African regions.
Unlike true ivies, the Boston Ivy is a deciduous plant that tends to lose leaves right after bearing beautiful red and purple leaves. The Boston Ivy tends to produce clumps of green flowers that, over time, assume the shape and role of grapes.
14. Goldchild Ivy
Goldchild ivy is another variety of English ivy with a clean and neat five-pointed leaf outline, banana yellow edges, and a gradient of light to dark green leaves. This plant has a softer leaf shape than the Needlepoint variety, and they have smaller leaves as well.
This variety of ivy has straight veins, dense and covering foliage. The plant can grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet in spread. It’s perfect for indoor or outdoor decoration, giving a great aesthetic and calm vibe to your place.
15. Himalayan Ivy
The Himalayan ivy is a variety of ivy which is native to countries in Asia and is best known for its leaves and yellow flowering blooms.
Their leaves are diamond-shaped and dark green with light-colored, almost white, veins. Each leaf of the Himalayan ivy can grow up to 6 in. long, and the plant can climb or grow up to 100 feet.
This variety of ivy needs full shade or partial sun to grow and is a good cover or shade provider for the area it is grown in. Even though they provide enough coverage from their foliage, they still have less coverage than other varieties of English ivy or Irish ivy.
16. Glacier Ivy
Glacier ivy is a type of English ivy usually bred as an indoor plant. It has a mixture of green and cream colors on its leaves, and they are great as a ground cover or an aesthetic backdrop for colorful plants and flowers.
The species thrives best under the indirect sun, but ensure that your plants get at least 6 hours of exposure to sunlight before transferring them to a shaded area. Glacier ivy makes excellent decoration, whether indoors or outdoors, especially when placed in hanging baskets and on high shelves.
17. Bettina Ivy
Bettina ivy is another type of English ivy usually grown as a houseplant. This variety has a compact bush or leaves, which have the color of moss green with cream or white edges. The plant needs bright or indirect sunlight in order to grow.
Bettina ivy is usually used as a desk or counter plant due to its aesthetic and calming appearance, but other than that, it is also used as ground cover. By regularly pruning the plant, the vines can be contained in small spaces, so it fits as an indoor plant decoration.
18. Tripod Ivy
Tripod ivy is an unusual variety of English ivy, which only has three pointed lobes rather than the usual five. Its leaves are long and slender with a deep, rich green color and a glossy texture. Its veins are light green, and its foliage is thick.
Tripod ivy requires partial shade or full shade from sunlight, and it could grow to be 13 feet tall and 13 feet spread. This variety is very suitable for tropical and Mediterranean gardens, with its lush leaves providing great shade and color, and they could also serve as a great ground cover.
19. Golden Curl Ivy
Golden Curl ivy is another type of English ivy that has leaves with curly edges. This variety has defined lobes and almost pentagonal-shaped leaves with vibrant blonde, almost lemon yellow, colored edges, and dark green patches on the leaf center.
Due to its eye-catching color, this variety is usually displayed as an indoor plant, but it can also be placed in gardens to add more color while providing great foliage. Other than these uses, Golden ivy is a great backdrop or wall foliage to provide a vibrant and decorative ivy aesthetic.
The Golden Ivy can grow up to 40 feet tall and requires partial shade or full shade from the sunlight to grow.
20. Anne Marie Ivy
Anne Marie ivy is another English ivy variant known for its classical and soft aesthetic due to its smooth appearance from the shallow gaps between the lobes.
The color of its leaves is forest to hunter green with cream edges and delicate light-colored veins. Their color varies depending on the sunlight exposure as they are grown. As they get more exposure to sunlight, their color becomes lighter.
Anne Marie ivy has thick foliage, and its color adds more decorative texture and movement to both outdoor and indoor displays. This variety can grow up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet in spread, requiring partial, full shade, or full sunlight to grow accordingly.
While Ivy plants can light up any garden and are easy to grow, you should consider some practical guidelines before growing the plant. It is often deemed that the growth of Ivy is injurious to a set of trees. Although moderate growth isn’t a cause of concern here, you should still ensure your Ivy plant grows within a proper and reasonable boundary.
References:
