English Ivy care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
English Ivy (Hedera helix) wants partial shade and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Hedera helix |
|---|---|
| family | Araliaceae |
| category | vine |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | partial shade |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| min zone | 4 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| toxic to humans | true |
| edible | false |
How often should I water English Ivy?
Let the top inch dry; outdoors it is fairly drought-tolerant.
Is English Ivy toxic?
The foliage and berries are toxic to pets and people.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 28 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 65 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.2. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.8. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 160 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Its fire tolerance is high. Fire resistant: yes. It has been recorded down to -23°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a stoloniferous form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 5.0 feet. Its roots go down at least 12 inches. Its shape is prostrate. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in late spring. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02