Is there a difference between indoor ivy plants and outdoor ivy?

Question

I just bought some ivy at WalMart (lol) - it was 1.97 a small pot so thought 'why not'? - I was needing some for my back garden. But as I planted it I started wondering - are these indoor ivy plants? or outdoor plants (and don't know if there is a difference)? I live in Toronto so the winter would possibly kill an indoor one?

ANy help? I googled and can't seem to see an answer??

The little plastic info stick that came with the plant just said "IVY" and said 'partial sun' and ideal temp is 18C - which wasn't so helpful

Answer 1

yea there is a difference and usually its easy to avoid buying the wrong plant just by observing where the store has out it.  what u probably saw in walmart is a pothos ivy and they are the most common house plant. it probably wont make it through the winter if this the case. im in texas and the outdoor ivy we are able to grow here is english ivy and different kinds of jasmine.

if i were you i'd try to find some english ivy. i believe it has a very good cold tolerance. and most of those tags you see in the pot are for the regions where they grew the plant, meaning a mellow climate where they dont have many seasons. at home depot here in texas most of the tropicals tags' would say that they were cold hardy when actually they wouldnt live during the winter. u might be better off asking an associate

Answer 2

No, most of the plants that people refer to as IVY, belong to the Hedera genus.

Hedera helix, or English ivy, is commonly sold as an evergreen groundcover, and also as a houseplant.

Always be careful when bringing a greenhouse-raised plant into an outdoor environment.  A plant accustomed to the constant climate of a greenhouse can be in for a rude awakening when thrust into harsh outdoor environments.

It's best to gradually introduce the plant to its new outdoor home, especially if it's much colder or warmer outside than its previous indoor home.

Answer 3

where was it located in the store? What type of pot was it in?

In my local wal mart, i'm not sure if they are all the same, they have the indoor plants located on the other side of the wall from the outdoor plants. indoor plants are right before you go into the garden section. If it was located outdoors or in the shaded outdoor section you are fine.

also the pot. was it flimsy or hard? Every plant that i have bought to plant outdoors has been in a pretty flimsy pot. The indoor plants pots will be more substantial.

about a month ago i bought vinca vines from wal mart. They are not the flowering type. That maybe what you have. They have smaller sort of oval leaves, and are for the outdoors.

Answer 4

There is a difference between indoor ivy and outdoor ivy but they are interchangeable to a degree.

You really need to find out if the ivy you purchased was a type of Philodendron (Araceae), such as Heartleaf Philodendron (P. scandens) which is a tropical plant and can not tolerate temperatures below about 55 degrees Fahrenheit – so it will definitely not make it through the winter but would last as an ANNUAL throughout the summer.

The other ivy you may have purchased could have been Hedera (Araliaceae) or English Ivy (H. helix), which are sold both as indoor and outdoor plants and also come in variegated forms. This species WOULD make it through the winter – although there may be a bit of dieback - it can and will tolerate a freeze - returning to all it's glory in the spring.

Where you found the plant located in the store is irrelevant. Often people THINK they want something then change their mind. Instead of returning the item to where they found it, AS THEY SHOULD – they place it wherever they are standing or the closest place that has something that LOOKS like it resembles what they have in their hand. After all, many customers feel there are all those slaves, I mean employees, that are there to do nothing else but pick up after them.