Plant guide
English Ivy
Hedera helix
English ivy is considered toxic to cats. Eating it can cause vomiting, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea and drooling. Its leaves are more toxic than its berries.
What this guide covers: This guide covers English ivy, Hedera helix. Other plants called ivy need their own identification and assessment.
Photo:
Photo details
Hedera helix Dover.jpg
By kallerna
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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Photo:
Photo details
Hedera helix Dover.jpg
By kallerna
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
English ivy
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Keep away from cats. We do not recommend this plant for a home where cats could reach it.
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Look for Hedera helix and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Hedera helix
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Container growing guidance for Hedera helix.
- Light
- Bright indirect light
Bright, indirect light is preferred indoors; lower and medium light are tolerated.
Tolerates lower light; growth or flowering may be reduced. - Watering
- Let the mix partly dry
Water when the top half-inch of mix is dry, then let the pot drain.
- Temperature
- Daytime: 50–70°F / 10–21°C
Nights about 5-10°F (3-6°C) cooler suit indoor ivy.
- Humidity
- Typical indoor humidity
Moderate humidity is preferred, but lower humidity is tolerated.
- Potting
- Use a standard houseplant mix in a draining container.
- Through the year
- Feed only while actively growing. Keep this spreading plant contained.
Growing-guide sources
- Growing English Ivy Indoors ↗Clemson Cooperative Extension · Accessed 2026-10-13
The source covers the named plant and these growing conditions.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-14. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Triterpenoid saponins, including hederagenin
- Reported signs
- Vomiting; Abdominal pain; Diarrhea; Drooling
- Severity
- Severity not established
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.