WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Hedera canariensis, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Algerian ivy in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Algerian ivy in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Algerian ivy is a vigorous evergreen vine with broad, leathery leaves and reddish stems. With nothing to climb it spreads into a dense groundcover, and on a wall or tree it clings with aerial roots and can reach 30 feet. It wants steady, moderate watering rather than drought treatment. It is considered invasive in California, so good care also means keeping it in bounds.

Ground coverVineRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water Algerian ivy, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Algerian ivy and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 3 inches down beneath the leaf mat means the ivy bed is ready for a deep soak
  • Leaves still limp in the evening, over dry soil, show the planting has gone too dry
  • Large numbers of snails and slugs hiding in the ivy suggest the bed stays damp too long between waterings
  • Soil still wet a few days after a soak, under a thick ivy mat, means the next watering can wait

How to water it

  • Water ivy groundcover at the soil with drip line where you can, since a wet leaf mat shelters snails and slugs
  • Run any sprinklers near sunrise rather than in the evening, so the foliage dries during the day
  • Soak until the root zone is moist well below the surface, then let the top few inches dry before watering again
  • For ivy on a wall or fence, put the water into the soil along the base where the plant is rooted
  • Water only the area you want covered, and cut back runners at the edge so the planting does not creep into other beds

Through the seasons

Water new ivy plantings regularly until the runners start to spread. Established ivy is evergreen, so its leaves keep drawing water through the whole year. Summer is when soil checks matter most. Winter rain covers the cool months on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. In both deserts, check the soil during long dry spells in winter. WUCOLS rates Algerian ivy moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast. A moderate rating means it is not a drought plant in any rated zone.

In pots

Algerian ivy can trail from a large pot or window box, where its vigor is easier to contain. Use a container with open drainage holes and a mix that drains freely. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer, and more often for a pot in hot sun or desert heat. Water until it runs from the holes, then empty the saucer so roots do not sit in water. Growth slows in winter, so let the top of the mix dry between soakings. Keep trailing stems from reaching open ground, since this ivy spreads readily.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Algerian Ivy: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.780.740.78
Feb0.530.65–0.870.930.93
Mar0.871.09–1.31.461.52
Apr1.181.52–1.611.891.95
May1.462.08–1.952.392.45
Jun1.612.48–2.292.852.79
Jul1.612.67–2.513.042.85
Aug1.492.39–2.332.792.6
Sep1.241.8–1.862.142.08
Oct0.871.18–1.331.461.49
Nov0.470.56–0.90.930.96
Dec0.310.34–0.680.650.68
Year1217.11–18.4121.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Algerian ivy. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

JasmineJasminum polyanthummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHoneysuckleLonicera japonicamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGrapevinesVitis vinifera ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyClematisClematis & ssp., hybrids & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStrawberriesFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen Supreme ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green Supreme'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMassachusetts ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySerbian BellflowerCampanula poscharskyanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyEvergreen ClematisClematis armandiimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBunchberryCornus canadensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyKenilworth IvyCymbalaria muralismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWinter CreeperEuonymus fortunei radicansmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCranesbillGeranium spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Algerian ivy in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWisteriaWisteria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFlowering WoodbineLonicera periclymenumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGround Morning GloryConvolvulus mauritanicuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock CotoneasterCotoneaster horizontalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFleeceflowerFallopia baldschuanica (Polygonum aubertii)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySouth African GeraniumPelargonium sidoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCecile Brunner RoseRosa 'Cecile Brunner'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Algerian ivy, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Algerian ivy in summer?

In July, established Algerian ivy in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Algerian ivy need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Algerian ivy needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Algerian ivy change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Algerian ivy separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Algerian ivy invasive in California?

Yes, it is considered invasive in California. It grows fast and spreads over the ground, and birds eat the black fruit and spread the seeds. In wild areas it smothers understory wildflowers and keeps young trees and shrubs from growing.

Is Algerian ivy poisonous?

Yes. The leaves and fruit are listed as poisonous, and the sap can cause severe skin irritation or an allergic rash that shows up after a delay. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you trim or pull it.

Does ivy attract rats?

Dense ivy gives roof rats shelter and nesting cover, especially where it climbs fences and buildings. University of California pest guidance advises thinning or removing climbing ivy where rats are a problem. Keep the planting cut back from walls and rooflines.

Why are there so many snails in my ivy?

Dense groundcovers such as ivy are ideal hiding spots for snails and slugs, and damp ground suits them even better. Switch to drip, or water near sunrise so the leaf mat dries by evening. Clearing the ivy back from beds of tender plants also helps.

Can Algerian ivy grow in deep shade?

Yes. It grows in part shade and even deep shade, in clay, loam or sand. Shaded beds dry slowly, so check the soil before watering there.

Does Algerian ivy tolerate salt?

Yes, it is listed as tolerant of salt and of urban pollution. Those traits help it near streets, driveways and paved areas.

More plant watering guides

Mallow RoseConfederate RosePeegee HydrangeaOakleaf HydrangeaSiberian IrisSpanish IrisItalian JasmineArabian Jasmine

Sources