Types of Climbing Ivy

Japanese Ivy

• Japanese ivy is known in the United States as Boston ivy due to the numerous buildings in the Boston area covered with the plant. A native of the orient, Japanese ivy is a deciduous plant known for the shiny leaves. The plant attaches to walls and other upright structures through small suction cups called discs. The tendrils aid the plant in reaching new heights. Living in U.S. hardiness zones 4 through 9, Japanese ivy leaves turn red in the fall. Once the plant loses its leaves in the winter, the fruit, inedible blue berries, is exposed.

English Ivy

• English ivy is an evergreen climbing ivy that thrives in U.S. hardiness zones 4 through 9. English ivy works well as a ground cover as well as a climbing plant. Use English ivy to create a living wall in your landscape that remains green all year long. In the fall, the mature climbing plant blooms with many tiny white flowers. The fruit is a black berry which is inedible. The color of the leaves range from dark green to silver or white, depending upon the age of the foliage.

Virginia Creeper

• Virginia creeper is a five-ridged leaf ivy that is often mistaken for the three-leaved poison ivy. However, the sap in the stem of Virginia creeper can cause an allergic reaction in some people that is similar to poison ivy. Virginia creeper is commonly used as a ground cover to prevent soil erosion. However, the plant attaches itself to trees, shrubs and walls through tendrils that have sucker discs. If you allow the climbing ivy to grow on trees or shrubs, Virginia creeper blocks the sunlight and causes damage to the other plants. New leaves are red and turn green as they mature. As the weather grows cooler, the foliage turns red. Virginia creeper flowers in late summer and produces toxic berries.

Wintercreeper

• Wintercreeper grows in U.S. hardiness zones 4 through 9 and is an evergreen ivy. The leaves of the wintercreeper ivy are of a broad-leaf variety. The plant grows in full sun or partial shade and prefers a well-drained soil. Wintercreeper grows up trellises and other vertical structures, but can also be used as a ground cover. The plant tolerates transplanting and also roots when the vines are in contact with the soil. Wintercreeper does spread into other areas if not pruned in the spring. You may also prune during the summer to keep the ivy contained.