The evergreen ivy (bot. Epipremnum aureum), also commercially known as golden ivy or gold tendril because of its pretty leaf markings, is one of the most popular indoor plants. The very easy-care and undemanding plant thrives in almost all locations, and people without a "green thumb" or with little experience in plant care quickly have a sense of achievement with this plant.

The ivy can be cultivated as a hanging or climbing plant

Table of Contents

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  1. origin and distribution
  2. use
  3. appearance and growth
  4. leaves
  5. blossoms
  6. toxicity
  7. Which location is suitable?
  8. substrate
  9. hydroponics
  10. plants and repotting
  11. pour ivy
  12. Fertilize ivy properly
  13. Cut ivy properly
  14. multiply ivy
  15. diseases and pests
  16. species and varieties

    17. origin and distribution

    Like so many popular indoor plants, the ivy belongs to the arum family (Araceae). There are around 15 different species of the genus Efeutute, of which Epipremnum aureum and its cultivars in particular are cultivated as indoor plants. The plant, also known as gold tendril, originally comes from the small, South Pacific island of Moorea, and has now spread from there to numerous other subtropical and tropical regions of Asia - especially in Southeast Asia - as well as in Australia and on the Pacific islands.

    It is a climbing plant that often thrives on and on the huge jungle trees in the tropical rainforest under partially shaded to shaded light conditions and spreads extremely quickly. However, the undemanding plants can also be found in inhospitable environments and colonize moss-covered stones, for example.

    Ivy owes its name to the external resemblance to common ivy (Hedera helix). However, neither the species nor the genera are botanically related to each other, and ivy plants also belong to the Araliaceae family.

    use

    Because of its simplicity and pretty foliage, ivy is a popular houseplant. Since it is a tropical plant and therefore needs warmth, it is not possible to cultivate it in the garden under our climatic conditions. In addition to being kept privately in the living room at home, the gold tendril is also often used as an ornamental plant in public areas - for example in authorities, companies or medical practices.

    This circumstance is due to the fact that the attractive plant does not need much care, can also cope with shady locations and is also considered to be air-purifying. Their leaves filter pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene and others from the surrounding air. In many tropical countries, the golden ivy is also found as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, where it tends to go wild.

    Efeutute can be used in many different ways for room design: the tendrils, which can be up to ten meters long, can be used very unusually (and if there is enough space in the apartment) for indoor greening of walls, room dividers, shelves and cupboards and even banisters. In this way you practically create your own little jungle in your own four walls.

    appearance and growth

    The golden ivy is an evergreen, herbaceous climbing plant that can grow up to 20 meters high with the help of aerial roots and develop shoots up to four centimeters thick. With proper care, the plant can also grow huge in pots, as evidenced by some specimens cultivated in the tropical houses of botanical gardens. In the living room at home, however, the ivy usually only reaches a height of only two to three meters.

    In addition to the gold tendril, there is another similar type of ivy that is also suitable for indoor cultivation: the spotted ivy (Epipremnum pictum 'Argyraeum'), however, has silvery, white-spotted foliage. However, the two species are very similar in terms of location and care requirements.

    Does the ivy need a climbing aid?

    In the trade, you can often get the ivy climbing on a moss stick, but you can also guide the long shoots of the climbing plant along furniture or banisters. Furthermore, the plant is also very well suited for hanging baskets, where its shoots grow attractively and lushly downwards. Climbing aids are of course not necessary for the hanging culture in a hanging basket. However, if the ivy is to grow upright, it needs support - its soft shoots cannot stand on their own and then simply grow towards the ground.

    leaves

    Ivy vines have heart-shaped, leathery, glossy leaves that grow larger and more irregular in shape with age. The leaves of young plants are usually smaller than 20 centimeters, while the foliage of many decades old specimens can be up to 45 centimeters wide and 100 centimeters long. However, these so-called aging sheets only occur very rarely in an apartment culture.

    The alternate leaves of the ivy can be green, but there is also a large selection of varieties with white-green, yellow-green or cream-green striped or spotted leaves, also with different green base colors.

    blossoms

    In their natural environment, ivy plants develop the bulb-like and rather inconspicuous flowers that are typical of an arum plant. In indoor culture, however, the plant flowers extremely rarely, because the bulbous flowers only appear when the ivy has developed the perforated and up to one meter large old age leaves - and this usually does not happen when kept in pots.

    toxicity

    Like so many representatives of the arum family, the ivy is poisonous. Its leaves contain, among other things, calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the skin or mucous membranes severely or even trigger allergies if they come into contact with them. Therefore, you should always wear gloves when caring for, especially when cutting the plant - the escaping plant sap can cause damage. If children or pets eat leaves or other parts of plants, severe symptoms of poisoning are to be expected: from dizziness, tachycardia and headaches to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed. To prevent such poisoning, place the ivy out of the reach of children, cats or dogs - for example in a hanging basket hanging from the ceiling.(11.99€)

    Which location is suitable?

    Efeututes need a lot of warmth: A constant temperature of around 20 °C all year round is ideal for the climbing plant, but it must not get cooler than 16 °C even during the winter months. Due to their need for warmth, the plants are not suitable for garden culture and can only enjoy fresh air on the balcony or terrace in warm summer.

    In its natural location, the ivy grows in the light semi-shade of the large jungle trees, which is why it cannot cope with direct sunlight. Even indoors, it needs a bright, semi-shady place where a few rays of sunshine hit the large leaves at most in the morning and/or evening. The plant also does not like drafts, which is why a place in front of a frequently opened window is not necessarily the best choice.

    However, the light requirements of the different varieties are very different: the darker green the leaves of the ivy are, the more shady they can be. These variants also thrive in north-facing rooms, where other indoor plants don't stand a chance due to the lack of light. However, this does not apply to the variegated varieties, which need significantly more light and should therefore be placed in the immediate vicinity of a window. If the location is too dark, the variegation will disappear and the leaves will simply turn green. Efeutute feels most comfortable in the bathroom anyway, as there is high humidity there all year round.
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    substrate

    Commercial, but high-quality flower or green plant soil based on compost is best suited as a substrate. When buying, pay close attention to the composition of the soil, because cheap peat is often used for poor-quality mixtures.

    hydroponics

    The undemanding ivy does well with a substrate-free culture in expanded clay (19.73€) or vermiculite granules and is therefore the perfect candidate for hydroponics. Incidentally, the ivy is an insider tip for experienced freshwater aquarists who use it to keep the water in the aquarium clean. You can also use the Efeutute - but without soil! - Cultivate directly in the aquarium, with only the roots standing or hanging in the water if possible. Alternatively, plant the ivy in a pot with multiple holes in the bottom and filled with expanded clay and hang it in the tank so that only the bottom of the pot is in the water.
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    plants and repotting

    Planting and repotting the ivy is completely uncomplicated. The plant always needs a new pot and fresh substrate when the roots threaten to grow out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. However, the new container should only be slightly larger than the old one at around two to three centimetres. When planting, you can cut back dried or rotten roots, as well as restrict the growth of large plants by cutting back both the roots and the above-ground parts of the plant. As a rule, repotting should be done every two to three years.

    pour ivy

    When it comes to water requirements, the Efeutute is quite frugal: they have no problem with temporary dryness, which is why they thrive even if you occasionally forget to water them. Always keep the plant only slightly moist, not wet, because waterlogging is not tolerated! Immediately pour off standing water, for example from the planter or the saucer. Instead of keeping the substrate permanently moist, you can also water less and instead spray the plant regularly or shower it off with lukewarm water in the bathtub. This increases the humidity - which the ivy needs anyway as a rainforest plant - and prevents an infestation with spider mites.

    The ivy drips, what's the deal with that?

    Sometimes ivy drops form drops that are reminiscent of dew or raindrops - and that without it raining or you have just sprayed the plant? If this phenomenon occurs, you have watered the plant too much and it is now trying to get rid of the excess through the leaves. Gently wipe off the drops with a cloth and then throw it away: the leaked water is poisonous and should not be touched!

    Fertilize ivy properly

    Efeutute is also undemanding when it comes to the supply of nutrients: If you forget to fertilize from time to time, it will not harm it. However, the houseplant thrives best if you give it a liquid fertilizer for ornamental leaf plants every two to four weeks between April and October, together with the irrigation water. This is also sold under the name "green plant fertilizer" or "foliar plant fertilizer" in garden or hardware stores. In winter, stop fertilizing and water the ivy less.
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    Cut ivy correctly

    In order to limit the size of the very vigorous plant, you can cut off overly long shoots to the desired length at any time. However, you should wear gloves because of the poisonous plant sap. The pruning also has the advantage that the plant then branches out better and grows more densely.
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    multiply ivy

    Efeututes can easily be propagated by cuttings from the head or stem, as well as by cutting them yourself. Simply place the cuttings that result from cutting back overly long shoots in a glass of water for rooting. There should always be a knot directly in the water, because this is where the roots of the ivy develop. As soon as the roots are about two centimeters long, you can put the little plant in a pot with soil. To ensure that the plant is nice and bushy, it is best to plant several cuttings in a planter - after all, ivy bushes do not develop side shoots. Alternatively, you can also pull sinkers, which are only separated from the mother plant after rooting has taken place. Plant shoots with aerial roots, on the other hand, in a pot with soil, as rooting then takes place more quickly.
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    diseases and pests

    In general, the ivy is a very robust houseplant that is not susceptible to pathogens or pests. Nevertheless, sometimes problems can arise, but these are usually due to care errors. As soon as these are corrected and turned off, the signs of the disease also disappear.

    • Efeutute sheds leaves: location either too dark or substrate too wet, change location and repot the plant in fresh substrate
    • Root rot, moldy soil in the pot: the plant is too wet, transfer the plant to fresh substrate and a new pot and water less
    • wilted or spotted leaves: the location is too drafty, move the plant to another place
    • Efeutute gets yellow / yellow-spotted leaves: often a sign of spider mite infestation, give the plant a shower and increase the humidity of the site

    tips

    Since the ivy filters out many harmful substances from the air, the plant improves the air in the room. However, it also stores these pollutants in its leaves, which is why you should never throw clippings or whole plants on the compost. Always dispose of all plant parts with household waste.

    species and varieties

    It is not without reason that the ivy bears its nickname "gold tendril": Its beautiful apple-green, heart-shaped leaves have a yellowish to golden variegation, which can vary greatly from individual to individual and is strongly dependent on the lighting conditions at the location. 'Golden Queen' develops a wonderfully large, golden-yellow variegation, while the 'Marble Queen' variety has attractive white-green variegated leaves. 'N-Joy' also has leaves with a high white content. 'Wilcoxii', on the other hand, has a distinctive yellow leaf pattern.

    But be careful: the expression of the different colors varies greatly even in one and the same plant, depending on how bright it is at its location. If the ivy is too dark, the leaves lose their color and turn green. They stay that way, even if you place the plant in a lighter spot.

Category:

Indoor plants