PLANT FINDER

Other Names:  Birdsfoot English Ivy

Description:

Glossy, dark-green with lighter veins, 3-lobed, birdsfoot shaped leaves, finer texture than the species; shorter trailer; many uses for this plant from hanging baskets, walls, groundcover, to indoor gardening

Ornamental Features

Needlepoint Perfection Ivy has dark green evergreen foliage on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. The glossy ferny leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Needlepoint Perfection Ivy is a multi-stemmed evergreen woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Needlepoint Perfection Ivy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Needlepoint Perfection Ivy will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This woody vine performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Needlepoint Perfection Ivy makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.