Boston ivy is one of the fastest growing vines you can grow in your garden. This vigorous climber can add an incredible 10 feet of growth each year during the first few years! After reaching maturity, Boston ivy vines can stretch over 50 feet long.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at exactly how fast Boston ivy grows, along with tips to ensure your ivy thrives.
Growth Rate of Boston Ivy
People love Boston ivy, which is also called Japanese ivy, because it grows so quickly. Here’s a guide to what you can expect .
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Year 1: Boston ivy grows the fastest during its first year in the ground. Expect new vines to stretch 3-5 feet in the first season.
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Years 2-4: Growth accelerates during years 2-4. This plant will grow 6 to 10 feet of new growth every year.
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Year 5: Boston ivy will reach maturity around year 5. Mature vines grow 30-50 feet long.
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After Maturity: Growth rate slows after maturity. Plants that are already there will grow 2 to 5 feet of new growth every year.
You can see that Boston ivy grows very quickly when it’s young. It can cover a lot of ground faster than most other vines if the conditions are right.
Growing Conditions for Fast Growth
To maximize the growth rate of your Boston ivy, provide the following growing conditions:
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Sunlight: Boston ivy thrives in full sun or partial shade. Give it at least 4 hours of direct sun per day.
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Soil: Plant in rich, loamy soil with excellent drainage. Amend clay soils with compost.
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Water: Water new vines regularly to establish deep roots. After establishment, water weekly.
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Fertilizer: Apply balanced fertilizer in early spring to fuel fast growth. Organic compost also encourages growth.
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Support: Give Boston ivy a strong vertical support like a trellis, arbor or wall to climb.
With the right location and care, you’ll be amazed at how rapidly Boston ivy transforms fences, arbors, and buildings with a cloak of green leaves.
Growth Habit as a Climber or Ground Cover
One of the great things about Boston ivy is its versatile growth habit. You can grow it as:
- A climbing vine on structures
- A ground cover spreading horizontally across the ground
As a climbing vine, Boston ivy attaches itself to surfaces using special tendrils. It climbs up to 50 feet high if given proper support.
Use it to cover:
- Trellises
- Arbors
- Pergolas
- Fences
- Walls
- Brick or stone structures
As a ground cover, Boston ivy spreads out horizontally, reaching 3 feet wide. It creates a living carpet across the soil.
Use it as a ground cover to:
- Suppress weeds
- Prevent erosion on slopes
- Naturalize areas beneath trees
So whether you need a fast-growing climber or ground cover, Boston ivy is an excellent choice.
Tips for Controlling Growth
Boston ivy’s rapid growth rate can sometimes cause problems. Follow these tips to keep your ivy under control:
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Plant in an area where you don’t mind rampant growth. Avoid planting near vulnerable structures.
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Prune annually to contain growth. Cut back overlong shoots and vines.
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Train vines to grow only where you want. Divert wayward stems back to your support structure.
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Remove vines growing directly on wood or masonry. Cut ivy at the base rather than tearing it off walls.
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Grow ivy on removable supports like trellises and arbors. Avoid permanent structures you can’t easily access.
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Situate ivy at least 15 feet from buildings if you don’t want it climbing walls long-term.
With some smart planning and pruning, you can reap the benefits of fast growth while keeping your Boston ivy under control.
Alternatives for Fast Coverage
If Boston ivy’s fast growth rate sounds like more than you can handle, consider these slightly slower – but still quick-growing – vine alternatives:
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Trumpet Vine: Adds 12+ feet per year but less dense than Boston ivy. Produces orange trumpet-shaped blooms.
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Virginia Creeper: Adds 10 feet per year. Gorgeous red fall color. Lower maintenance than Boston ivy.
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Clematis: Grows 6-10 feet per year. Flowering types like Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ add charm.
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Honeysuckle: Grows up to 10 feet per year with sweet fragrance. Requires frequent pruning.
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Grape Vines: Grow 10-15 feet yearly. Produce edible fruit. Keep pruned to 8-10 feet tall.
While not as fast as Boston ivy, any of these vines will quickly cover fences, arbors and other structures in your landscape.
Enjoy Boston Ivy’s Speedy Growth
When you need a super fast growing vine, it’s hard to beat Boston ivy. Just be sure to provide this vigorous plant with plenty of space and strong support. Train and prune it routinely to prevent any unwanted spread. With some simple care, you’ll be able to enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your Boston ivy transform a bare area into a leafy green wonder.
All About English Ivy
English Ivy, or Hedera helix, is a broad-leaved evergreen perennial vine that grows in Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. It is in the Grape family and is also known as Common Ivy and European Ivy. Steeped in history and fairytales, English Ivy has many superstitions and even health benefits in its family background!.
For hundreds of years, these easily recognizable trailing vines have been used to decorate wedding bouquets and make the beautiful walls of old buildings on Ivy League campuses. English Ivy covers the ground to suppress weeds under trees and works great as living mulch.
In the US, English Ivy does well in both sun and shade. It’s a great groundcover that hides both vertical and horizontal unsightly things. English Ivy also does well as an indoor houseplant, a patio or porch spiller, or a hanging basket. This way they purify the air and improve health! Though English Ivy is not to be confused with the smaller leaved indoor cultivars that are not winter hardy grown as hanging baskets or topiaries.
The rippled to shallowly lobed leaves have a dull sheen and the easily recognizable fan-shaped leaves are alternate, growing along each side of the vine. The foliage grows in an alternate fashion along the vine, which can look a bit hairy as it ages and matures. The clusters of flowers feed pollinators and small purple/black berries that develop afterward are eaten by birds. Both flower and fruit resemble others in the Grape family but are held in rounded clusters, partially concealed beneath the leaves.
This gives you a lush look quickly. This is the classic Ivy that stays deep green through winter and is a strong growing, trailing variety thats great for baskets, containers, or as a groundcover.
These plants have dense growth and abundant leaves which form a thick canopy just above the ground. As you can imagine, theyll prevent sunlight from reaching other plants. They make perfectly poised weed suppression!
- Mature Height – 20 – 60 feet
- Mature Spread – 3 – 30 feet
- Water-Wise
- Root hairs can stick to many different surfaces without any help.
- Cold Hardy & Heat Tolerant
- Greenish-yellow blooms & purple-black berries
- Pollinator & Bird Friendly
- Widely Adaptable
- Use as a Vining Groundcover or Climbing Vine
- Evergreen vines add color all year; they can grow in USDA zones 4 through 9.
The only downside to this fantastic variety is that English Ivy cannot be shipped to all areas of the country, as it performs too well in certain climates where mild temperature climates allow these plants to outcompete the locals. In any state where this plant is restricted our Plant Sentry™ software prevents the sale of this plant so we are doing our part to prevent invasive species from being shipped.
Where it can be grown safely, there is nothing like the charm and grace of beautiful English Ivy. This ornamental plant will beautify your landscape but should be used appropriately.
- English ivy grows best in rich, well-drained soil, but it can also handle some shade or full sun.
- Provide it with a regular schedule of moderate, regular water.
- In the coldest USDA growing zones, cover plants with mulch to keep them safe from winter damage.
- Keep an eye on how far your English Ivy grows, and you can always cut the edges off with garden shears.
- Cutting back woody stems to a bud on a regular basis will help your vine grow again. After that, there will be a lot of green new growth.
- When it gets cold, plant in part shade or shade so the leaves don’t get burned by the dry winds in the north.
The darker green foliage of the Thorndale English Ivy is a great variety that grows a bit shorter than the Common Ivy but handles much hotter growing zones 5 through 11!
All About Boston Ivy
The Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) is a very hardy flowering plant in the grape family. Native to eastern Asia in Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China. Unrelated to the true Ivies, Boston Ivy is also commonly known as Grape Ivy, Japanese Ivy, and Japanese Creeper.
Boston Ivy is a remarkably fast-growing, deciduous woody vine with tendrils that can grip onto surfaces. The glossy dark green leaves may be reminiscent of grapevines because they are in the same family! Not to be confused with Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy is not as difficult to remove once attached. Adhering with cute little suction cup-like ‘feet’, they can take off the paint on older buildings but do not damage rock or metal siding.
Big broad foliage with pointed lobes that have three distinct points, with younger leaves having three leaflets. Combined with their reddish stems, they can sometimes be confused with Poison Ivy! The Boston Ivy is a deep green and has an alternating stem pattern. In the fall your Ivy will turn a deep scarlet in preparation for the coming winter, and in more sun-exposed areas, the fall color becomes an even deeper red. In mild climates, Boston Ivy can remain semi-evergreen.
Incredibly tiny greenish-white flowers appear in the spring and will be buzzing with pollinators! By early summer small black berries soon develop.
Most people wont notice until leaf drop, but the birds will partake of the feast youve provided them. Birds often use this dense vine for nesting too!
Because the anchoring roots of Boston Ivy adhere pretty well, it is recommended that you avoid planting them on wood or shingle siding, because they will take some paint and the material with them when removed.
- Iconic Fast-Growing Vine Covering Buildings & Walls
- Cold Hardy Glossy Green Leaves – Growing Zones 4-8
- Full Sun & Partial Shade
- Vertically & Horizontally
- Drought Tolerant
- Wonderful Fall Color!
- Greenish-White Flowers & Small Black Berries For Birds
- Insulates & Shades Sun-Baked Walls
- Avoid Planting On Wood or Shingle Siding
- Mature Height – 30 – 50 feet
- Mature Spread – 5 – 10 feet
The Robusta Boston Ivy is even more cold-hardy than Boston Ivy, thriving throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 7, displaying red/orange fall color.
Growing Boston Ivy is oh-so-easy! Once established, there is barely any work for yourself at all! It’s easy to grow, deer resistant, and pollinator-friendly shrub will do the job!
- If you plant Boston Ivy in full sun, partial sun, or full shade, it will always turn colors in the fall. It looks great no matter how much sun it gets!
- Boston ivy doesn’t mind what kind of soil it is grown in; it can handle acidic or alkaline, chalky or clay soil. All it needs is consistent moisture access while establishing. Afterward, provide average moist, well-drained soils. Then, these are even drought-tolerant!.
- At first, Boston Ivy needs help, but in the end, it sticks to itself and stays on the ground even when it rains or winds blow. It can quickly and easily cover almost any surface, and it even grows well when pruned. Watch out for gutters and roofs when you have vines or other plants that climb.
- A thick layer of mulch helps keep the soil moist and keeps the roots from getting too hot or too cold.
Boston Ivy is One of the BEST Climbers
FAQ
How long does it take for Boston Ivy to grow?
Boston Ivy is a highly fast-growing vine, adding up to 10 ft. each year during the first few years! This vigorous climber also reaches maturity at or around 50 ft. long after five years of growing.
How to make Boston Ivy grow faster?
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Sunlight:Boston ivy thrives in full sun, which encourages vigorous growth and vibrant autumn color. While it tolerates partial shade, growth will be slower.
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Soil:Ensure the soil is well-drained and enriched with organic matter, as this promotes healthy root development and overall plant vigor.
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Watering:Regularly water, especially during the first growing season, to help the plant establish its root system. Once established, it’s relatively drought-tolerant.
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Planting:Plant Boston ivy 18-24 inches apart for faster wall coverage, and be sure to plant at least 12 inches away from the wall to allow roots space.
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Regular pruning, especially in early spring, encourages fuller growth and can be done whenever leggy vines need to be trimmed.
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While not strictly necessary, applying a slow-release fertilizer in the spring can benefit the plant, especially if the soil is infertile.
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If you want to direct the growth upwards, consider using a trellis or support structure for Boston ivy to climb on.
Is Boston Ivy a fast grower?
Boston Ivy is a remarkably fast-growing, deciduous woody vine with tendrils that can grip onto surfaces.
What is the downside of Boston Ivy?
Mildews, leaf spots, canker and wilt may occur. Potential insect pests include scale and leaf hoppers and Japanese beetles.
How do you propagate Boston ivy?
Boston ivy is best propagated from seeds or cuttings. Regardless of the method used, you’ll want to space plantings 18 to 24 inches apart from each other, and at least a foot away from nearby vertical surfaces. First, acquire some P. tricuspidata seeds. You can collect seeds directly from the indigo berries when they ripen in the fall.
How long can Boston ivy grow?
Boston ivy is a vigorous vine, hardy in Zones 3-9, that grows up to 50 feet long. It cloaks horizontal and vertical structures with lustrous green foliage that erupts in shades of red, orange, and yellow in fall.
Does English Ivy grow fast?
English ivy has a variable growth rate. Compared to other vines and plants, this one grows much faster, but like all other living things, the growth rate depends on a host of factors. When the plant is young, it grows slowly the first year. But by the second year, you will notice a big difference in how fast it grows.
How do you grow Boston ivy?
To grow Boston ivy, plant container-grown transplants from nurseries in spring. Select a location that receives full sun or partial sun. For each plant, dig a hole the size of the rootball in deep, loose soil that drains well. Space the plants 5 to 10 feet apart. Boston ivy grows in various light conditions and effectively controls erosion on slopes.
How long does it take for ivy vines to grow?
For more of our favorite vines to cover Facades & Exteriors, see our guides to Creeping Fig, Jasmine, and Ivy. It takes Boston ivy five or more years to reach maturity, at which point the climber’s vines may be 30 feet high.
How much sun does Boston ivy need?
Grow these vines in partial shade to full sun. Plant roots one foot away from the wall and leave 18 to 24 inches of space between plants to cover the wall. Plant Boston ivy at least 15 feet from any structure if you do not want it to climb walls.