Besides the obvious difference of one being named for a local variety and the other named for having been grown across the pond, there are a few other differences you should be aware of when selecting an Ivy for your landscape!
Both varieties of Ivy are lovely for covering areas, hillsides, rocky retaining walls, trailing down in hanging baskets, and climbing over buildings to create a magical-looking landscape!
But there’s a place for everything, and everything in its place when selecting which of these lovely vining perennials to choose!
Boston ivy is one of the fastest growing vines you can grow in your garden. This vigorous climber can add an incredible 10 feet of growth each year during the first few years! After reaching maturity, Boston ivy vines can stretch over 50 feet long.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at exactly how fast Boston ivy grows, along with tips to ensure your ivy thrives.
Growth Rate of Boston Ivy
Boston ivy also known as Japanese ivy is renowned for its incredibly fast growth rate. Here’s a guide to what you can expect
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Year 1: Boston ivy grows the fastest during its first year in the ground. Expect new vines to stretch 3-5 feet in the first season.
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Years 2-4: Growth accelerates during years 2-4. Expect your Boston ivy to add 6-10 feet of new growth per year.
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Year 5: Boston ivy will reach maturity around year 5. Mature vines grow 30-50 feet long.
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After Maturity: Growth rate slows after maturity. Expect 2-5 feet of new growth per year on established vines.
As you can see, Boston ivy’s growth rate is astonishing when it’s young. With ideal growing conditions, it can cover huge areas faster than most other vines.
Growing Conditions for Fast Growth
To maximize the growth rate of your Boston ivy, provide the following growing conditions:
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Sunlight: Boston ivy thrives in full sun or partial shade. Give it at least 4 hours of direct sun per day.
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Soil: Plant in rich, loamy soil with excellent drainage. Amend clay soils with compost.
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Water: Water new vines regularly to establish deep roots. After establishment, water weekly.
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Fertilizer: Apply balanced fertilizer in early spring to fuel fast growth. Organic compost also encourages growth.
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Support: Give Boston ivy a strong vertical support like a trellis, arbor or wall to climb.
With the right location and care, you’ll be amazed at how rapidly Boston ivy transforms fences, arbors, and buildings with a cloak of green leaves.
Growth Habit as a Climber or Ground Cover
One of the great things about Boston ivy is its versatile growth habit. You can grow it as:
- A climbing vine on structures
- A ground cover spreading horizontally across the ground
As a climbing vine, Boston ivy attaches itself to surfaces using special tendrils. It climbs up to 50 feet high if given proper support.
Use it to cover:
- Trellises
- Arbors
- Pergolas
- Fences
- Walls
- Brick or stone structures
As a ground cover, Boston ivy spreads out horizontally, reaching 3 feet wide. It creates a living carpet across the soil.
Use it as a ground cover to:
- Suppress weeds
- Prevent erosion on slopes
- Naturalize areas beneath trees
So whether you need a fast-growing climber or ground cover, Boston ivy is an excellent choice.
Tips for Controlling Growth
Boston ivy’s rapid growth rate can sometimes cause problems. Follow these tips to keep your ivy under control:
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Plant in an area where you don’t mind rampant growth. Avoid planting near vulnerable structures.
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Prune annually to contain growth. Cut back overlong shoots and vines.
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Train vines to grow only where you want. Divert wayward stems back to your support structure.
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Remove vines growing directly on wood or masonry. Cut ivy at the base rather than tearing it off walls.
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Grow ivy on removable supports like trellises and arbors. Avoid permanent structures you can’t easily access.
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Situate ivy at least 15 feet from buildings if you don’t want it climbing walls long-term.
With some smart planning and pruning, you can reap the benefits of fast growth while keeping your Boston ivy under control.
Alternatives for Fast Coverage
If Boston ivy’s fast growth rate sounds like more than you can handle, consider these slightly slower – but still quick-growing – vine alternatives:
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Trumpet Vine: Adds 12+ feet per year but less dense than Boston ivy. Produces orange trumpet-shaped blooms.
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Virginia Creeper: Adds 10 feet per year. Gorgeous red fall color. Lower maintenance than Boston ivy.
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Clematis: Grows 6-10 feet per year. Flowering types like Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ add charm.
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Honeysuckle: Grows up to 10 feet per year with sweet fragrance. Requires frequent pruning.
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Grape Vines: Grow 10-15 feet yearly. Produce edible fruit. Keep pruned to 8-10 feet tall.
While not as fast as Boston ivy, any of these vines will quickly cover fences, arbors and other structures in your landscape.
Enjoy Boston Ivy’s Speedy Growth
When you need a super fast growing vine, it’s hard to beat Boston ivy. Just be sure to provide this vigorous plant with plenty of space and strong support. Train and prune it routinely to prevent any unwanted spread. With some simple care, you’ll be able to enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your Boston ivy transform a bare area into a leafy green wonder.
All About English Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, and is a broad-leaved evergreen perennial vine and member of the Grape family, that can also be known as Common Ivy, and European Ivy. Steeped in history and fairytales, English Ivy has many superstitions and even health benefits in its family background!
For hundreds of years, these instantly recognizable trailing vines have graced wedding bouquets and created the glorious vine-cover walls on historic buildings on Ivy League campuses. English Ivy covers the ground to suppress weeds under trees and works great as living mulch.
Here in the US, English Ivy thrives in sun and shade and makes a fantastic groundcover, and hides vertical and horizontal eyesores! Indoors, English Ivy even thrives as an indoor houseplant, porch and patio spiller, and hanging baskets. This way they purify the air and improve health! Though English Ivy is not to be confused with the smaller leaved indoor cultivars that are not winter hardy grown as hanging baskets or topiaries.
The rippled to shallowly lobed leaves have a dull sheen and the easily recognizable fan-shaped leaves are alternate, growing along each side of the vine. The foliage grows in an alternate fashion along the vine, which can look a bit hairy as it ages and matures. The clusters of flowers feed pollinators and small purple/black berries that develop afterward are eaten by birds. Both flower and fruit resemble others in the Grape family but are held in rounded clusters, partially concealed beneath the leaves.
This gives you a lush look quickly. This is the classic Ivy that stays deep green through winter and is a strong growing, trailing variety thats great for baskets, containers, or as a groundcover.
These plants have dense growth and abundant leaves which form a thick canopy just above the ground. As you can imagine, theyll prevent sunlight from reaching other plants. They make perfectly poised weed suppression!
- Mature Height – 20 – 60 feet
- Mature Spread – 3 – 30 feet
- Water-Wise
- Root Hairs Cling to a Wide Range of Surfaces Without Support
- Cold Hardy & Heat Tolerant
- Greenish-yellow blooms & purple-black berries
- Pollinator & Bird Friendly
- Widely Adaptable
- Use as a Vining Groundcover or Climbing Vine
- Evergreen Vines Deliver Color All Year – USDA growing zones 4 to 9
The only downside to this fantastic variety is that English Ivy cannot be shipped to all areas of the country, as it performs too well in certain climates where mild temperature climates allow these plants to outcompete the locals. In any state where this plant is restricted our Plant Sentry™ software prevents the sale of this plant so we are doing our part to prevent invasive species from being shipped.
Where it can be grown safely, there is nothing like the charm and grace of beautiful English Ivy. This ornamental plant will beautify your landscape but should be used appropriately.
- English Ivy prefers to grow in rich, well-drained soil but will tolerate either full sun or partial shade.
- Provide it with a regular schedule of moderate, regular water.
- Mulch in the coldest USDA growing zones to protect against winter damage.
- Watch the spread of your English Ivy, and trim up the edges with a pair of garden shears at any time.
- Rejuvenate your vine periodically by pruning out woody stems back to a bud. Youll have a flush of green new growth from that point.
- Plant in part shade or shade in colder zones so the foliage does not winter burn in the drying northern winds.
The darker green foliage of the Thorndale English Ivy is a great variety that grows a bit shorter than the Common Ivy but handles much hotter growing zones 5 through 11!
All About Boston Ivy
The Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) is a very hardy flowering plant in the grape family. Native to eastern Asia in Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China. Unrelated to the true Ivies, Boston Ivy is also commonly known as Grape Ivy, Japanese Ivy, and Japanese Creeper.
Boston Ivy is a remarkably fast-growing, deciduous woody vine with tendrils that can grip onto surfaces. The glossy dark green leaves may be reminiscent of grapevines because they are in the same family! Not to be confused with Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy is not as difficult to remove once attached. Adhering with cute little suction cup-like ‘feet’, they can take off the paint on older buildings but do not damage rock or metal siding.
Big broad foliage with pointed lobes that have three distinct points, with younger leaves having three leaflets. Combined with their reddish stems, they can sometimes be confused with Poison Ivy! The Boston Ivy is a deep green and has an alternating stem pattern. In the fall your Ivy will turn a deep scarlet in preparation for the coming winter, and in more sun-exposed areas, the fall color becomes an even deeper red. In mild climates, Boston Ivy can remain semi-evergreen.
Incredibly tiny greenish-white flowers appear in the spring and will be buzzing with pollinators! By early summer small black berries soon develop.
Most people wont notice until leaf drop, but the birds will partake of the feast youve provided them. Birds often use this dense vine for nesting too!
Because the anchoring roots of Boston Ivy adhere pretty well, it is recommended that you avoid planting them on wood or shingle siding, because they will take some paint and the material with them when removed.
- Iconic Fast-Growing Vine Covering Buildings & Walls
- Cold Hardy Glossy Green Leaves – Growing Zones 4-8
- Full Sun & Partial Shade
- Vertically & Horizontally
- Drought Tolerant
- Wonderful Fall Color!
- Greenish-White Flowers & Small Black Berries For Birds
- Insulates & Shades Sun-Baked Walls
- Avoid Planting On Wood or Shingle Siding
- Mature Height – 30 – 50 feet
- Mature Spread – 5 – 10 feet
The Robusta Boston Ivy is even more cold-hardy than Boston Ivy, thriving throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 7, displaying red/orange fall color.
Growing Boston Ivy is oh-so-easy! Once established, there is barely any work for yourself at all! It’s easy to grow, deer resistant, and pollinator-friendly shrub will do the job!
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Autumn color is guaranteed whether planted in full sun, partial, or full shade, Boston Ivy looks amazing regardless of the amount of sun!
- Boston Ivy doesnt have a soil type preference, tolerating acid or alkaline, chalk or clay. All it needs is consistent moisture access while establishing. Afterward, provide average moist, well-drained soils. Then, these are even drought-tolerant!
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Boston Ivy benefits from support at first but ultimately is self-clinging and hangs onto its surface through storms and wind. It can cover almost any surface quickly and with ease and even adapts readily to pruning. As with all vines and climbing plants, keep away from gutters and roofs.
- A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture as well as insulate the root system from heat and chill.
Boston Ivy is One of the BEST Climbers
FAQ
How long does it take for Boston Ivy to grow?
Boston Ivy is a highly fast-growing vine, adding up to 10 ft. each year during the first few years! This vigorous climber also reaches maturity at or around 50 ft. long after five years of growing.
How to make Boston Ivy grow faster?
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Sunlight:Boston ivy thrives in full sun, which encourages vigorous growth and vibrant autumn color. While it tolerates partial shade, growth will be slower.
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Soil:Ensure the soil is well-drained and enriched with organic matter, as this promotes healthy root development and overall plant vigor.
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Watering:Regularly water, especially during the first growing season, to help the plant establish its root system. Once established, it’s relatively drought-tolerant.
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Planting:Plant Boston ivy 18-24 inches apart for faster wall coverage, and be sure to plant at least 12 inches away from the wall to allow roots space.
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Regular pruning, especially in early spring, encourages fuller growth and can be done whenever leggy vines need to be trimmed.
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While not strictly necessary, applying a slow-release fertilizer in the spring can benefit the plant, especially if the soil is infertile.
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If you want to direct the growth upwards, consider using a trellis or support structure for Boston ivy to climb on.
Is Boston Ivy a fast grower?
Boston Ivy is a remarkably fast-growing, deciduous woody vine with tendrils that can grip onto surfaces.
What is the downside of Boston Ivy?
Mildews, leaf spots, canker and wilt may occur. Potential insect pests include scale and leaf hoppers and Japanese beetles.
How do you propagate Boston ivy?
Boston ivy is best propagated from seeds or cuttings. Regardless of the method used, you’ll want to space plantings 18 to 24 inches apart from each other, and at least a foot away from nearby vertical surfaces. First, acquire some P. tricuspidata seeds. You can collect seeds directly from the indigo berries when they ripen in the fall.
How long can Boston ivy grow?
Boston ivy is a vigorous vine, hardy in Zones 3-9, that grows up to 50 feet long. It cloaks horizontal and vertical structures with lustrous green foliage that erupts in shades of red, orange, and yellow in fall.
Does English Ivy grow fast?
English ivy has a variable growth rate. Compared to other vines and plants, this one grows much faster, but like all other living things, the growth rate depends on a host of factors. The plant tends to grow slowly in its first year, though you will notice a marked increase in the rate of growth by the second year.
How do you grow Boston ivy?
To grow Boston ivy, plant container-grown transplants from nurseries in spring. Select a location that receives full sun or partial sun. Dig a hole the size of the rootball in well-draining, loamy soil for each plant and space them 5 to 10 feet apart. Boston ivy grows in various light conditions and effectively controls erosion on slopes.
How long does it take for ivy vines to grow?
For more of our favorite vines to cover Facades & Exteriors, see our guides to Creeping Fig, Jasmine, and Ivy. It takes Boston ivy five or more years to reach maturity, at which point the climber’s vines may be 30 feet high.
How much sun does Boston ivy need?
Grow these vines in partial shade to full sun. Plant roots 1 foot from the wall, and allow 18 to 24 inches between plants when planting for wall coverage. Plant Boston ivy at least 15 feet from any structure if you do not want it to climb walls.