Araliaceae
English ivy
Hedera helix
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Genus
- Hedera
Pets and kids
- CatsMildly toxic
- DogsMildly toxic
- KidsToxic
Why
Cats: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin).
Signs: vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, diarrhea.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: English Ivy | ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Branching Ivy Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control
Dogs: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin).
Signs: vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, diarrhea.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: English Ivy | ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Branching Ivy Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control
Kids: Toxic
Toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: triterpenoid saponins and polyacetylene compounds.
Signs: skin blisters, vomiting, abdominal pain, delirium, convulsions.
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (69)
- Arabic
- عشقة متسلقة, اللبلاب, حبل المساجين, حبل المساكين, عشقة مبذولة, فشغة سامة, قسوس متسلق, هيدرا
- Armenian
- Բաղեղ սովորական
- arz
- عشقه متسلقه
- Asturian
- Hedra, Hedrera, Yedra
- Azerbaijani
- Adi daşsarmaşığı, Adi daş sarmaşığı
- bar
- Eabam
- Basque
- Huntz arrunt
- Belarusian
- Плюшч звычайны, Блюшч
- Bulgarian
- Обикновен бръшлян
- Catalan
- Heura
- Chinese
- 常春藤, 欧洲常春藤, 洋常春藤, 英国常春藤, 长春藤
- Croatian
- Bršljan
- csb
- Efoj
- Czech
- Břečťan popínavý
- Danish
- Almindelig vedbend, Vedbend
- dsb
- Wšedny blušć
- Dutch
- Klimop
- eml
- Lédra
- English
- English ivy, Common ivy, European ivy, Ivy
- Esperanto
- Helica hedero
- Estonian
- Harilik luuderohi
- Finnish
- Varjomuratti, Euroopanmuratti, Muratti
- French
- Lierre grimpant, Lierre
- frr
- Efeu
- Galician
- Hedra, Areira
- Georgian
- Ჩვეულებრივი სურო
- German
- Gemeiner Efeu, Efeu, Gewöhnlicher Efeu
- Greek
- Χέδερα ή έλιξ
- gsw
- Efeu, Chreser, Ebhöö, Lürrunulaub, Äbhöi
- Hebrew
- קיסוס החורש
- hsb
- Wšědny blušć, Efoj, Prašiwc, Prašiwe blušću
- Hungarian
- Közönséges borostyán
- Icelandic
- Bergflétta
- Japanese
- セイヨウキヅタ, アイビー
- kab
- Adafal
- Korean
- 아이비
- ks
- کَرمور
- kw
- Idhyow
- Latvian
- Parastā efeja
- li
- Wintjergreun
- Lithuanian
- Gebenė lipikė, Paprastoji gebenė
- lmo
- Ligabosch, Édera
- Luxembourgish
- Gewéinlecht Wantergréng
- Macedonian
- Бршлен
- Malagasy
- Ivoara
- mwl
- Yedra, Hidre
- nap
- Ellera
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Eføy, Bergflette, Vedbend, Vedbende
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Bergflette, Eføy
- nrm
- Glléru, Glleru, Hierru, Ire, Yierre, Yièrre
- Persian
- عشقه
- Polish
- Bluszcz pospolity
- Portuguese
- Hera, Edra
- Romanian
- Iederă
- rsk
- Плющ
- Russian
- Плющ обыкновенный, Hedéra hélix, Змеевик, Плющ вьющийся, Плющ кавказский, Плющ крымский
- sc
- Edra
- Serbian
- Бршљан
- sgs
- Gebenė
- Slovak
- Brečtan popínavý
- Slovenian
- Navadni bršljan
- Spanish
- Cazuz, Hiedra comun, Hiedra común, Hiedra trepadora
- Swedish
- Murgröna, Gotlands landskapsblomma, Vildmurgröna
- Turkish
- Duvar sarmaşığı, Adi sarmaşık, Duvarsarmaşığı
- Ukrainian
- Плющ звичайний
- Uyghur
- ھەشقىپۈچەك
- Vietnamese
- Dây thường xuân
- Welsh
- Iorwg, Eiddew
- wuu
- 常春藤
Synonyms
- Hedera chrysophylla hort.
- Hedera communis Gray
- Hedera donerailensis hort. ex K.Koch
- Hedera helix f. aureovariegata (Weston) P.D.Sell
- Hedera helix var. aurea Hibberd
- Hedera helix var. crenata Hibberd
- Hedera helix var. vulgaris DC.
- Hedera marginata G.Nicholson
- Hedera palmata (Paul) Carrière
- Hedera poetarum Bertol.
- Hedera poetica Salisb.
Flowers
- In flower
- September to October (from 1,524 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Vine
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Marianna Boi, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Irene Saltini, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Paul Cook, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Lamiot, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Roman A. Lagazyuk (Роман А. Лагазюк), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Hladac, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mike Beard, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Hladac, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dave Richardson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
More in Hedera
- Colchis ivyHedera colchicaAraliaceae
- Canarian ivyHedera canariensisAraliaceae
- Hedera algeriensisAraliaceae
- Hedera nepalensisAraliaceae
- Hedera pastuchoviiAraliaceae
- Japanese ivyHedera rhombeaAraliaceae
- Hedera azoricaAraliaceae
- Hedera cypriaAraliaceae
- Hedera ibericaAraliaceae
- Hedera maderensisAraliaceae
- Hedera maroccanaAraliaceae
- Hedera caucasigenaAraliaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.