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English ivy: toxicity, first aid and care
English ivy (Hedera helix): toxic for cats, toxic for dogs, toxic for small children. The toxic principle, the signs, what to do, and how to grow it.
Cats: ToxicDogs: ToxicChildren: Toxic
Also sold as: Common ivy, luuderohi, muratti.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
Toxic principle: Triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin glycosides); falcarinol on skin — Saponins.
Two separate problems in one plant. Eaten, the saponins irritate the gut, and the leaves carry more of them than the berries. Handled, the sap contains falcarinol, a well-documented contact allergen — hedge-cutting dermatitis on the forearms is a recognised occupational complaint among gardeners.
What it looks like when it goes wrong
Drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain after eating; blistering itchy dermatitis a day or two after handling, in people who have become sensitised.
What to do
Phone a veterinary clinic for a real ingestion, particularly in a small animal. For skin, wash immediately with soap and water and see a doctor if blistering develops. Wear gloves and long sleeves when cutting ivy back.
| Country | Poison information centre | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Mürgistusteabekeskus (Health Board) | 16662 | Round the clock; 112 for an emergency |
| Finland | Myrkytystietokeskus (HUS) | 0800 147 111 | Free, round the clock |
| Latvia | Saindēšanās un zāļu informācijas centrs | 67042473 | Round the clock |
| Sweden | Giftinformationscentralen | 010-456 67 00 | Non-urgent advice; 112 in an emergency |
| Norway | Giftinformasjonen | 22 59 13 00 | Round the clock |
| Denmark | Giftlinjen (Bispebjerg Hospital) | 82 12 12 12 | Round the clock |
Anywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches emergency services and can put you through. Lithuania's poison information bureau (Apsinuodijimų kontrolės ir informacijos biuras) publishes its own round-the-clock line; if you do not have it to hand, use 112. For an animal, your own veterinary clinic or its out-of-hours service is the first call — human poison centres do not advise on animals in every country.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Bright indirect indoors; sun or shade outdoors |
| Water | Keep evenly moist; it hates a hot dry room |
| Temperature | Cool — it prefers 10-20 °C and struggles beside a radiator |
Indoors it is a cool-room plant, and the standing failure is a warm dry living room, which brings on spider mite and thin yellow growth. It does far better in a hallway, a stairwell or a bright unheated porch. Outdoors it is a first-class evergreen for shade and one of the last nectar sources of the year for insects — no small thing in a northern autumn.
What it gets confused with
Ivy on a wall is often blamed for damage it did not cause: on sound masonry it is mostly harmless, on cracked mortar or rendering it makes an existing problem worse. Separately, Hedera has nothing to do with poison ivy, which is Toxicodendron and does not grow in this region.
A plant that is not on the toxic lists
If you are deciding what to keep in a home with a cat, a dog or a small child, this one fills a similar role and is not flagged by the veterinary services.
Others that work the same way
Saponins — these behave alike, and what you would do about them is alike too.
Aloe vera
Anthraquinone glycosides (aloin) and saponins in the latex
Cyclamen
Terpenoid saponins (cyclamin), concentrated in the tuber
Dracaena
Saponins
Snake plant
Saponins
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxic and non-toxic plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is english ivy toxic to cats?
The veterinary lists rate it "toxic" for cats and "toxic" for dogs. The toxic principle is triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin glycosides); falcarinol on skin. Two separate problems in one plant. Eaten, the saponins irritate the gut, and the leaves carry more of them than the berries.
What should I do if my dog eats english ivy?
Phone a veterinary clinic for a real ingestion, particularly in a small animal. For skin, wash immediately with soap and water and see a doctor if blistering develops.
Is english ivy dangerous for a small child?
The verdict for a child who chews or swallows part of it is "toxic". Drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain after eating; blistering itchy dermatitis a day or two after handling, in people who have become sensitised.
How do you care for english ivy?
Light: Bright indirect indoors; sun or shade outdoors. Water: Keep evenly moist; it hates a hot dry room. Temperature: Cool — it prefers 10-20 °C and struggles beside a radiator. Indoors it is a cool-room plant, and the standing failure is a warm dry living room, which brings on spider mite and thin yellow growth.
What is english ivy confused with?
Ivy on a wall is often blamed for damage it did not cause: on sound masonry it is mostly harmless, on cracked mortar or rendering it makes an existing problem worse. Separately, Hedera has nothing to do with poison ivy, which is Toxicodendron and does not grow in this region.
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