creep on trees and walls , or crawling in shady earth , ivy is associated with ruins , architecture , quondam buildings , unwiseness and historical gardens .
In fact , if you want your garden to look “ well established ” no plant is better than Hedera helix at that .
Also great at covering wall , softening corner and edge of Freemasonry or concrete , ivy says , “ overgrown forest ” wherever you plant it .
There are , however , many types of ivy ( orHederawith its scientific name ): English ivy is the most mutual , with a few varieties within this species , but then you also have Irish Hedera helix , Iranian ivy , Russian common ivy , Nipponese ivy , Nepalese English ivy , Canarian ivy , Algerian ivy and two “ faux ivies ” to select from : Boston ivy and Swedish common ivy .
Not sure yet which one to opt ? Look at the pictures in this clause with an heart-to-heart affectionateness , and then use your brain to clean the best one for you reading the descriptions , best horticulture points and develop want and tip for each eccentric …
How to Identify Ivy Types
Naturally , the pictures in this article will aid you identify the unlike types of Hedera helix ; on top of being beautiful , that is !
While there are many deviation between the unlike species and varieties , the first and world-class way to identify which species , cultivar etc . of common ivy you are look at is the leaf , its shape , color(s ) and overall appearance .
However , when decide which motley you want , you will also want to bang ho tall it will uprise , and how thick-skulled the foliage is .
For example English or Canarian ivies are far thicker than Russian English ivy , and if you want to all traverse a paries , you ’d well opt one of the first two varieties …
Ivy And Soil
Ivy is a bit strange , is n’t it ?
search at a heavy , even ego supporting ivy flora and observe its root … look cautiously and you will feel no roots at the base of the plant life !
But it ’s not true that it does not have them … it has airy roots , just hidden under the leaf along the root to the plant …
So , how about the soil ? What is the correct soil for common ivy ? With ivy you will have piffling problems , because while a boggy or waterlogged soil will result in disease ( rot , infestations etc . ) , ivy is not finical about the rest .
Clay , chalk , loam or arenaceous dirt are okay , with pH from alkaline to acidic ( but sooner near neutral ) and well debilitate . That ’s all it take .
15 Different Types Of Ivy Plants With Pictures
As you may see , English ivy is a very “ cosmopolitan ” plant life , but wait till you meet all these varieties “ in someone ” …
So , without further ado , here are 15 of the best type of Hedera helix group as English ivy , with many varieties , other material Hedera helix assortment and faux English ivy you’re able to select from !
English Ivy Varieties
English ivy is the big radical of English ivy we have ; its scientific name is Hedera helix , and it is native of Europe .
It has been used in gardening for century , which means that there are now cultivars and diverseness aplenty on top of three race .
The leaf of English English ivy has the typical five lobes of this evergreen creeper and climber , making it a very authoritative option for your garden .
1.‘Anne Marie’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Anne Marie’)
‘ Anne Marie ’ English English ivy is a mild and classical depend variety , with shallow gaps between the lobe , which chip in them a very “ smooth ” and “ appeasing ” visual aspect .
The leaves of ‘ Anne Marie ’ have delicate veins , and their color is usually forest to hunter green in the middle , bit the edges are cream .
However , you may have variations according to light exposure , as they may plough light green in the Sunlight .
This is a beautiful variety of Hedera helix which is perfect for a traditional , Old World , but also romantic smell ; the leaf will be quite wooden-headed but the cream colored edges will impart a sense of movement and texture to it which you wo n’t rue , and which also ca-ca it suitable for urban garden .
2.‘Needlepoint’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Needlepoint’)
For a bolder look , ‘ Needlepoint ’ declare oneself you very well divided and pointed lobe , bring in the classical ivy leafage shape to its extreme .
If it is the shape of the leaf that you desire to highlight in your garden , then this is arguably the skilful variety to have .
The leave of absence themselves are dark emerald to jade green , so , a sweet and ardent specter of this colour , and they are glossy , with swooning veins ; they mature at steady intervals on the vines , but the overall effect is one of almost pure foliage cover .
This is an idealistic salmagundi of ivy to turn that boring wall or fencing of yours into an interesting pattern of green and “ five - fingered wave hands ” , and it will also look outstanding turn on the steps that lead to your front door , greeting your node as they arrive …
3.‘Goldchild’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Goldchild’)
‘ Goldchild ’ has a soft leaf embodiment than ‘ Needlepoint ’ bit still the five pointed outline is very clear and neat , also thanks to the banana scandalmongering edges , a gracious but harmonic contrast with the green leaves which bulge out off as light and turn hunting watch green afterward on .
Paler , pretty straight veins then add a argent green finish up touch to the knockout of the leaves of this English ivy .
This kind too has dense and pass over leaf , and , thanks to its laid-back and comforting appearance , it will be perfect if you want that established look in your garden that also bring a good sense of security and peace .
A very hardy and easy to grow and adaptable mixture , it is a recipient role of the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society and it even won the Ivy of the Year Award in 2008 .
4.‘Ivalance’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Ivalance’)
If a attractively shaped and color flavourless foliage is not enough for your garden , then ‘ Ivalance ’ English Hedera helix offers you the alternative of wavy leaf border , which await a bit like they are curling onto themselves .
victor of the Ivy of the Year Award by the American Ivy Society in 2011 , this is a mixture that you will delight if you want a classical look bit with a touch of originality .
The lulu of this flora is that close by , the leafage will draw you in with their disaffected look , and the wild visual aspect of this English ivy is then underline by very showy leaves indeed .
They are dark ample green with lighter illumination at the top , and light but vivid green at the bottom .
But this strange variety also has a very intriguing effect from afar ; it too has very thick foliage that will completely cover your paries or fencing , but the texture you will get will be very complex , cosmetic and rich …
This is basically the Baroque version of English ivy , to give you an architectural compare …
5.‘Tripod’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Tripod’)
Another strange variety is ‘ Tripod ’ English ivy , so called because its leave have three , foresightful , slender and point lobes , rather than five .
They are of a sheeny texture and cryptic and fat green semblance , divided somewhat regularly by light green veins , and it is sometimes called arrowhead English ivy .
The foliage of this variety is thick as well , but the overall effect differs from the single we have seen so far … In fact , thanks to the unusual shape of its leaves .
This English ivy is very suitable for tropical or Mediterranean gardens , where the many lush leaves will remind your visitors of a shady spot in an alien stead , hide out under the canopy of a green and wild rain forest .
Be heedful though , the muggins of ‘ Tripod ’ English ivy is an thorn , the leaves and the fruit are poisonous .
6.‘Golden Curl’ English Ivy (Hedera helix ‘Golden Curl’)
One of the most vibrant and energetic potpourri of English ivy you’re able to regain is ‘ English Curl ’ .
Its leaves , as the name suggests , are curly at the edges , but the configuration may vary a bot , from almost pentagonal to more clearly defined lobes ( but never very long ) .
However , what makes this multifariousness stand out is the color of its foliage : it is of a vibrant blond , almost lemon scandalmongering for most of the foliage , with beautiful rich and often dark green mend towards the border of the leaf .
you may imagine the life and light impregnate effect that this pretty big English ivy , with fairly buddy-buddy , bright yellow and wavy foliage can have on a wall …
Make indisputable you make the best of this change ’s optic captivate colour , possibly prefer a fence at the end of a prospicient perspective agate line .
Note too , however , that all parts of this works are poisonous if you take them .
Other Real Ivy Varieties
These are all unlike mintage or real common ivy ( Hedera ) , but we have grouped them together because they do n’t have as many cultivars as English English ivy , and you will not find as many diverseness of these on the market .
Still , they are all very beautiful , as you are going to determine out …
7.Irish Ivy (Hedera hibernica)
A diversity of Ivy that descend from the Atlantic countries of Europe , Irish Ivy has a childlike and nitty-gritty warming beauty .
The leaves of Irish ivy are of a glossy emerald green color , soft in shape , with lobes that , for lack of a better word , could be defined as “ aesthetic and with fluid contour lines ” .
This makes it also “ modern ” , mean that it look like a stylized Hedera helix leaf , but on the whole , its appearing is very traditional and Hellenic .
This is a consummate works if you are after a vivacious carpet of green to cover wall or fences – even big one , as this is a giant of the Hedera genus and it can mature to be 10 level marvelous !
While it will become forward-looking gardens thanks to its foliage shape , it is also perfectly suited to traditional ones , as the overall appearance is that of a well known unripe bearing from our rough-cut past .
8.Persian Ivy (Hedera colchica)
A very lush and sonant variety of ivy , with large , showy leaves that part curl rearward , relieve oneself them wait like drapery string up on the branches , Persian ivy has a look of aristocratical teemingness that can make any rampart or fence look like a corner of paradise .
The folio are big , up to about 10 inches in length ( 25 centimeter ) , which give it a very exotic flavour , and they are more heart shaped than five lobed in most kind .
However , Hedera colchica ‘ Dentata ’ has clear , pointed lobe , but if you desire large drops of white-livered in dark green frames , choose Hedera colchica ‘ Sulphur center ’ , whose leaves have a central part that starts off light green and then turns chicken .
It is also an splendid plant for groundcover , especially if you have a expectant patch of unused land that you need to turn into a thick and lush green carpet .
9.Russian Ivy (Hedera pastuchovii)
For yet a different effect , Russian ivy has lancelike green leaves that grow in opposing pairs and on bright cherry petioles .
The leaves the , selves are regularly set , at times on arch branches , an strange wont for common ivy , that ending in a small bunch of black Berry .
While the main metal money has parting within the Golden Ratio proportion and fairly uniform in people of colour ( Kelly green ) , Hedera pastuchovii ‘ Ann Ala ’ , a very pop cultivar , has long and dropping leaf with dark putting surface to even purple outer coloring and bright green veins and centerfield .
‘ Ann Ala ’ Russian English ivy has win the Award of Garden merit of the Royal Horticultural Society .
Note that all part of this plant are toxicant of you have them .
10.Japanese Ivy (Hedera rhombea)
Who knows why everything that comes from East Asia is always so elegant ? Japanese ivy is no exception ; growing course on tree trunks and rocky incline in bay wreath forest .
This ivy species has lustrous leave of varied shape , according to the miscellany , and cluster of showy purple fatal berries at the end of arm , that sometimes have an upright habit .
In fact , Japanese ivy is so refined that it looks like a houseplant .
The foliage is less dense than in other varieties , but this only serves to allow the single leave-taking to stand out more clearly against brickwork or wood fencing .
With cultivars like ‘ Crème de Menthe ’ , that has dark green leaves with dashes of cream by the edges , Japanese English ivy offers you a light and graceful option to cushion those arduous corner in your garden .
11.Nepalese Ivy (Hedera nepalensis)
Also promise Himalayan Hedera helix , Nepalese Hedera helix is an Asian specie you will appreciate for its very rich , dark and glossy leaves with clear , ornamental and light green veins , that make each leaf a dependable workplace of art .
On the whole , the foliation is less blockheaded than English English ivy , giving you a more mottled effect when overcompensate flat coat or surfaces with it .
Thanks to this tone , it will also hover great growing on rocks , while leaving part of them in mass as well , which urinate it the ideal variety to climb on statue and fountains …
12.Canarian Ivy (Hedera canariensis)
Canarian ivy may look very interchangeable to English Hedera helix , with an overall effect that can honestly be compared .
In fact , it has thick foliage of a deep green shade , which immediately reach and idea of visiting a temperate forest when pacing along your garden , and may make your guests expect a tomfoolery partly hidden by the lush vegetation of this plant …
But there are so e key divergence ; the lobes are only sketched and the contour of the leafage change by reversal into a wavy line ; at the same clock time , it also grows faster and found itself quicker than English Hedera helix .
So , Canarian English ivy may be the one to do the line of work for you if you want to have that “ old garden flavour ” but you have no time to wait for it .
If you want an extra chill , the ‘ Variegata ’ cultivar has leaves of two colors , green and emollient .
13.Algerian Ivy ‘Gloire de Marengo’ (Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’)
The beautiful , heart shaped to roughly triangular dark Sacramento greenish parting with cream gross profit margin that cling on over-embellished branched and petiole of Algerian common ivy ‘ Gloire de Marengo ’ , their tumid size of it ( 4 to 5 column inch , or 10 to 12 cm ) make it an ideal option for a garden that wants to look make but also posh and middle catching .
The Sacramento shade in particular make suitable for a grand and even stately setting , and , as long as you keep this peach .
succeeder of the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society , shelter from cold nothingness , it will even resist drouth will still bringing a dramatic but refined effect to your arbor and pergola .
FAUX IVY VARIETIES
Here are two works that are not scientifically ivy , as they do not belong to the Hedera genus , but they expect like English ivy , and you will chance them sold as such in many garden centers ; for convenience ’ sake , let ’s call them “ false Hedera helix ” .
14.Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus Tricuspidata)
You would be totally forgiven if , on seeing a rampart cover in Boston ivy , you thought it was substantial ivy , even English ivy .
In fact , it is very similar , with very glossy average blue emerald green leave with three point lobes and notched margins .
But then you will note that these beautiful leaves follow at the end of long case-by-case green and almost good stalk , which makes the whole foliage look like suspend in the air , a bit like some strange and light origami installation in a museum of modern artistic production .
And , unlike real English ivy , Boston ivy is deciduous , so , it will not insure your fence , wall or unsightly shed in wintertime .
However , when it does cover it , it will do it with great elegance and with sparser leafage than English English ivy , allow for the paries in sight behind the beautiful leaves .
In fall , though , because it is not evergreen , the leaves will turn yellow and red , giving you a showing of color that can put your whole garden on fire ( metaphorically speak , of course ) !
Because of its elegant appearance and orderly habit , it is a adept choice than most real ivy change for sunny spot in advanced garden , including urban gardens .
15.Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Australis)
Swedish ivy is an herbaceous evergreen repeated gardeners love life for its cascade branches with hear shed serrated leave , which can be sluttish , jade green or darker Barbour green with cream border with the variegata salmagundi .
It will also produce white-hot or empurpled , long and tubular flowers , which make it idealistic as a smaller “ common ivy like ” works to mature in cosmetic , maybe even sculptural muckle on terraces , patios , or on the side of the step that lead to your nursing home .
Ivy: a Journey though Time and Space…
Hedera helix can make your garden look like it ’s always been there even if it is only a few year erstwhile ; this is arguably the “ illusion ” of this works , that touch sensation , that nurseryman ’s trick that can make all the difference of opinion . Plant some ivy and it will be like travel back in metre in a subject of months …
And in space too ! Yes , because as you could see , ivy is English , Nepalese , Japanese , Algerian … Ivy is a plant that can bring the whole world into your garden !
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Amber Noyes was assume and raised in a suburban California townspeople , San Mateo . She concord a overlord ’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience work on an constitutional farm , water preservation research , sodbuster ’ markets , and works nursery , she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can good understand the link between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves inform people of new ideas / things relate to horticulture , especially organic horticulture , houseplant , and rise plant in a small place .
