Common ivy
Hedera helix
- Size
- 10 m tall, 3 m across
- Light
- Shade, part sun, full sun
- Hardy to
- -25 degrees
- Flowers
- September to October
- A climber
- Ground cover
- Food and shelter for wildlife
- Shade
- Evergreen
- Late food for bees
- Takes shade
Safety
- Can cause illness if eaten; keep it away from small children.
- Can upset a dog that chews it.
- Can upset a cat that chews it.
- Note: can spread; plant responsibly and check local rules
- Note: its clinging roots can damage weak masonry and render
Reviewed and approved for Poland by a qualified gardener with thirty years of practice, 22 September 2026.
What it needs, what it becomes
- Type
- Climbers
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Size when mature
- 10 m tall, 3 m across
- Light
- Shade, part sun, full sun
- Moisture
- Medium, moist
- Soil
- loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 8
- Hardy to
- -25 degrees
- Flowers
- September to October
- For pollinators
- Very good
- Water
- Low water
- Upkeep
- Some
- Growth
- Fast
- In Europe
- Native
- Spreading risk
- Moderate, plant with care
- If eaten
- People: Can cause illness · Dogs: Can cause illness · Cats: Can cause illness
Design a garden with this plant
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Lists it is on
- Plants for shade30 plantsWhat grows on the north side of a house, under a tree and against a wall the sun reaches for an hour.
- Plants for bees and butterflies60 plantsForage from early spring to late autumn, with each plant's flowering months stated.
- Drought tolerant plants42 plantsA garden that gets through July without a hose starts with the plant list.
- Evergreen plants24 plantsWhat holds a garden together from November to March, when the rest of it is underground.
- Ground cover plants17 plantsInstead of weeding: a close mat that shuts the ground and keeps weeds out.
