English ivy (Hedera helix) is a versatile houseplant that can be grown in many different situations. Ivies can be grown in hanging baskets, at the base of other houseplants and in pots of their own. Ivy is often trained on trellis frames or wire topiary forms into various formal or whimsical shapes.
Ornamental Features
Ornamental ivies have an amazing range of different foliage types. Many ivies have leaves edged, splashed or centered with silver, gray-green, white, cream, yellow, chartreuse or gold.
Cultivars
The American Ivy Society describes ivy cultivars by leaf shape and by plant type if unusual. Leaf shapes are ivy with typical flat leaves that have 5 lobes; heart-shaped which may also be triangular, with 3 lobes; fan shaped are triangular or have lobes pointing forward; bird’s foot with narrow lobes or willow-like leaves; and curly leaves are ruffled, rippled or wavy.
Plant types include miniatures, small plants with leaves under 1inch long; oddities, which have unusual traits such as distorted or curly stems or leaves, or bushy upright growth; and variegateds, which have leaves of more than one color, or a color other than green.
There are hundreds of cultivars of this popular ivy. It is an incredibly varied group, with leaves from well under an inch to over 3 inches long and in many colors and shapes.
Anne Marieꞌ has medium green leaves overlaid with gray green splotches with a creamy white margin.
‘Asterisk’ has narrow recurved bird’s foot leaves that resemble an asterisk symbol.
‘Buttercup’ has pale green leaves in shade, bright yellow in sun.
‘Caecilia’ has variegated, curly leaves that are rounded and frilled. They are light green with gray blotches and white edges.
‘Calico’ has 3-lobed small typical ivy leaves with white variegated centers.
‘Congesta’ is an oddity with dark green leaves that are very tightly and evenly arranged along two sides of the stem. It has an upright, bushy habit.
‘Conglomerata’ is similar to ‘Congesta.’ Its leaves are a little larger and wavy on the edges.
‘Curly Locks’ has large, rounded curly leaves with rippled lobes.
‘Diana’ has widely spaced leaf lobes that end in long curved or hooked tips.
‘Duckfoot’ forms tiny mounds of miniature duckfoot-shaped leaves.
‘Fluffy Ruffles’ has small, curly leaves with frilled margins.
‘Glacier’ is a popular ivy-leafed cultivar with silvery variegations and white margins.
Devil’s Ivy
Devil’s ivy (epipremnun aureum) is a leafed plant which is known for being strong and sturdy. It doesn’t require much care and can grow easily. Devil’s ivy is not only admired as a houseplant but also used for gardens and lawns. This ivy plant usually grows upright with extended hanging vines. This ivy plant has the tendency to attach itself to the side of the home or alongside trees if cultivated in the garden or lawn.
RE: The Tale of Two Ivies