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Growing German ivy in planters

All about caring for German ivy in containers!

Hey all! Today I’m talking about a tiny little terrarium-sized plant I got about 2 years ago at a local nursery. I didn’t know exactly what it was when I got it—it was just grouped with the $1.99 terrarium/fairy garden plants and wasn’t labeled.

I gathered that it was some type of ivy. Seeing as I’ve not had great luck with ivy indoors in the past, I was hesitant to buy it. But the leaves were so pretty that I went ahead and took it home. And I’m glad I did, because that little guy grew into a large plant that has produced several propagated babies as well!

cape ivy in a white pot

Background & invasiveness

This type of ivy is known as German ivy in some parts of the world—Cape ivy in others. It’s an evergreen climbing vine that’s native to South Africa. The leaves and vining stems are smooth.

This sort of ivy has a beautiful lush and glossy foliage with solid-colored medium-green leaves. The leaves themselves can get quite large (up to 4 inches) when they are well taken care of. German Ivy is commonly used as an accent to flowers since it trails and climbs.

It’s worth highlighting that this plant can be highly invasive in many parts of the United States (the country I’m in). In fact, more than half of U.S. states note that German Ivy is an invasive plant (meaning it prevents other plants from growing since it is such a voracious grower).

Outdoors, this plant is hardy down to 20 or so degrees Fahrenheit. So its invasiveness is more of a problem in areas where it doesn’t regularly get that cold for an extended period of time. 

You must control its growth if you don’t want it to become invasive—and you can do that by cutting them back. However, I’m not a fan of planting things that can become invasive. So in this post I’ll be focusing on caring for German ivy as a potted plant.

cape ivy in a white pot

Lighting needs

Bright, indirect light is usually perfect for German ivy. However, it does not tolerate direct sunlight. Too much direct light will burn the leaves. Indoors, a sunny window is usually best.

Outdoors, you can also put the potted plant in bright shade. You can see where I had mine one summer in the photo below. This was on a patio under a covered deck, meaning it was almost always shaded. It did great in these conditions.

plant ideas for a small townhouse backyard

Watering & soil

German Ivy likes well-draining soil, and it likes to remain evenly moist. If the top 2 inches of the soil is dry, give it a deep drink. I like to water my plants thoroughly in the sink, soaking the soil and letting all of the excess water drain from the pot’s drainage holes.

Overwatering can lead the German ivy’s leaves to brown and curl on the edges, or the leaves can yellow and wilt. This are vicious symptoms because they can also appear when you aren’t watering your plant enough! Always check the soil moisture and write down the last time you watered the plant to help you troubleshoot the cause of your plant’s problems.

You can give this plant a balanced houseplant fertilizer monthly to keep it well-fed. When I have mine outdoors, I give it the same fertilizer I give everything else outdoors.

cape ivy with water droplets on it

Humidity

German ivy likes a lot of humidity. When I first brought my teeny tiny ivy home, it had maybe 3 or 4 small leaves. I transferred it from its nursery container into a slightly larger container and put it on my desk—an area that gets great light. I watered it appropriately.

However, it quickly started looking pretty pathetic, so I decided to move it into my Plant ICU. That’s what I call the window in my daughter’s bathroom: it has great light, the humidity in there is awesome because she has tubs often, and I can put the plants in a plastic container to help boost humidity further.

After a few weeks in the Plant ICU, the German Ivy rebounded beautifully. Since I’d replanted it in a clear plastic container, I could see new root growth from the outside. But why did it do so well? It was definitely the higher humidity, as the light exposure and watering routine were the same as when I had it downstairs.

cape ivy in a white pot

Indoors vs. outdoors

I kept the ivy in the Plant ICU bathroom until it was warm enough to take it outdoors for the spring, summer, and early fall. It basically exploded in the humid Maryland summer! I barely had to care for it at all from April through early October.

I just made sure it had a good drink if it hadn’t rained in a few days. On extremely hot and dry days, I gave it some extra water. Once we were near a danger of frost, I rinse the plant off and put it back in the bathroom to get through the winter.

Although German Ivy can survive as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s best to bring it indoors when the temperature drops below 50. During the transition from an ideal outdoor environment to and indoor environment, you may have to pick some dead leaves off and do some pruning, but that is expected with extreme environmental changes.

cape ivy leaf
cape ivy in a white pot

Propagating via cuttings

German ivy is extremely easy to propagate. (This is also probably why it’s so invasive…it roots so easily!) Simple take a cutting from a healthy plant, making sure to include a few leaves. You can then root the plant in water, which is my favorite way to root easy plants like these.

When the plant has grown some new roots, you can then transplant it into soil without much of a shock. Planting a cutting directly in soil works, too—just have some patience and make sure to keep it moist.

Propagating Cape or German Ivy
Propagating Cape or German Ivy

Wrapping up…

Caring for German ivy in pots is simple—and is probably the best choice for the plant given its vigorous growth and invasive nature. Remember to provide bright, indirect light or bright shade outdoors; well-draining soil; and regular deep watering. And bring it indoors for the winter before it frosts too heavily. Good luck!

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  1. Rebecca Payne says:

    Good advice and I love the pictures.

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