Sunny (full sun) to semi-shaded Position. Soils rich in nutrients and humus with good water provision.

Well maintained / pruned ivy in late winter. It is essential to cut back the areas towards the roof regularly to prevent building damages.

Ivy can grow to 20m height and more, and without pruning can lift roof shingles and block downpipes.

Severely pruned ivy

Strongly pruned English Ivy

Well pruned ivy, mature form “Arborescens”

A self-clinger. Of particular interest for façade greening are the wild ie non-hybridised species and juvenile forms, which are generally good climbers with clinging stem roots and, in  moderate climates (Zone 6a and up), are reliably evergreen.

The native form Hedera helix is a particularly reliable climber, while Hedera colchica is only reliable in optimal positions. The Irish Ivy Hedera helix “Hibernica” is  particularly vigorous, but also less reliable in developing clinging stem roots. Hedera helix “Woerner” is known to be especially frost resistant. Once an ivy can no longer grow further upwards, it will stop climbing with stem roots and convert to the senescent form “Arborescens”, which develops simple oval, acuminate leaves instead of lobed ones, grows as shrub only and is sold as a different species altogether.

Flowers in September, a fragrant feasting meadow for bees! Fruit during or after winter. Bird food.

For heights to 10m and more, it is recommended to install cables to assist climbing /  attaching and also to prevent the plant from collapsing, because during a storm and especially if wall plaster is brittle, entire leaf mats may separate and collapse. For suitable rope systems refer below.  Light and  Medium, if necessary also Heavy Duty Support Systems. In addition, weaving the plant into fences, wire nets, trellises etc is very decorative.

Possible at any time and often necessary to restrict growth as illustrated and described in photos.

Sweeping wire frames made from steel elements for ivy, and spanned with wire cables. Regular pruning achieves and maintains the desired formal green foliage mass as seen on the photo.

With ivy one can create beautiful, evergreen pergolas

Pruning and tearing off ivy will leave traces of the adventitious roots on the walls.

Here ivy shoots were woven into fan shaped wires between the carport posts (System 7060) and form a thick leaf mat and visual screen.

Here a window sill prevents the ivy from climbing further

Ivy grows in a strongly light-shunning manner and can cause considerable building damages, especially when brickwork and render have cracks into which the ivy can grow and blast them apart with increasing stem girths. We are often asked how to treat the remainders of the adventitious roots after ripping down the plant from a façade during its renovation. The only way is to burn off / torching the plant traces and repaint the wall. Alternatively, to prevent such damages one can use horizontal climbing barriers such as projecting window sills (Photo) or if necessary, install metal sheets at a designated height to prevent the ivy from climbing any further, at least temporarily until the next pruning ... Poisonous fruit!