Effie

Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’

Variegated ivy, Persian ivy, Colchis ivy

• 
  Easy care
• 
  Most light conditions

• Effie likes...
  • 
    Regular watering

    She likes her soil gently moist, but not soggy. Water her when her top two inches of soil are dry.

  • 
    Most light conditions

    She could not be more easygoing when it comes to light although she’ll prefer a shadier spot to full sun.

  • 
    Humidity

    Effie is a cloud forest ivy that likes lots of misty humid air so give her leaves and moss pole a regular water at the same time as her soil.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’

  Nickname

  Variegated ivy, Persian ivy, Colchis ivy

  Plant type

  Evergreen climber,

  Plant height (including pot)

  60-70cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Toxic if ingested

  Nursery pot size

  15cm

• About Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’

  There can hardly be a person in the UK who isn’t familiar with this plant. It grows up buildings, trees and anything else it can get its rootlets on. Unlike our native English Ivy, Hedera colchica has its origins in the Middle East and is commonly called the Persian ivy. This vigorous, fast-growing climber is an ideal easy-care outdoor plant, perfect for creating a screen and creating a cottage core or wildlife garden aesthetic. Its evergreen so will hold its leaves year-round, and is hardy down to around -15 degrees celsius. Its tolerance of wind makes it suitable for balconies and because it’s self-clinging (using little aerial roots along its stems to attach to surfaces) it doesn’t require tying-in or training. 

  Its leaves are larger and thicker than other ivies, making them really resilient to all weather conditions, and their variegated green-creamy and lemon-yellow leaves lighten up a planting scheme. Discreet flowers may appear on little stalks late in the year. These are much loved by pollinators, and then birds, which feast on their black berries. 

  While you can leave Effie in her nursery pot to restrict how much she grows, you can also plant her out into a larger decorative pot or straight into the ground where she can romp freely. Use a fertile free draining potting compost and if you’re keeping her in a pot, remember to repot her every couple of years. Give her a monthly feed with outdoor plant food from May through to October when she’s putting on lots of new growth. 

  Did you know?

  Hedera colchica’s main dispersal method is via the droppings of birds that gorge on its berries. Let’s just say, those tiny seeds are hard to digest!