Other Names:  English Ivy

Description:

Glossy, dark-green and gold variegated with some gray-green; in cooler temperatures, gold variegation is brighter; many uses for this plant from hanging baskets, walls, groundcover, to indoor gardening

Ornamental Features

Gold Child Ivy's attractive glossy lobed leaves remain dark green in colour with showy gold variegation and tinges of grayish green throughout the year on a plant with a spreading habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Gold Child Ivy is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant 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

Gold Child Ivy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Gold Child Ivy will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it should either 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. This annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant 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 applying a thick mulch around the root zone 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.

Gold Child Ivy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. 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. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.