When to plant and prune Ivy
Ivy flowers from early October to mid November and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Ivy is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| East Anglia | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Northern England | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Northern Ireland | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early January to late December | early October to mid November | early April to early May |
Growing notes
Self-clinging by aerial roots, so it needs no wires or fixings, but on old, soft lime mortar or already damaged walls the weight and roots can dislodge masonry, and the root hairs leave marks on paintwork. Its late nectar and midwinter berries make it one of the best wildlife plants in a UK garden.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 100 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 800 cm
- Eventual spread
- 400 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Shade tolerant
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Feeding
No routine feeding needed in the ground; liquid feed only for plants in containers.
Pruning group
Trim off excess growth in mid-spring; overgrown plants can be cut back hard in early spring before nesting birds move in.
What usually goes wrong
- viburnum scale
- aphids
- vine weevil in containers
- leaf spots
- damage to weak mortar or render
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for ivy.