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It does not merely climb. It launches a campaign 🌿⚔️
Family: Araliaceae · Pot diameter: 13 cm · Height: approximately 35 cm
Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’ draws the eye with large, glossy leaves combining grey-green centres and broad, irregular cream margins. Intermediate green shades give each blade depth, while reddish leaf stalks add a finer contrast. As the stems extend, the variegated foliage forms generous, flexible lines. The result stays bright and full throughout the year, with a strong presence from a distance and plenty of detail to appreciate close up.
On a strong support it creates bright vertical cover, while a tall pot allows the stems to cascade freely. A dark or plain background brings out the cream leaf margins. Used as ground cover, the same strong palette links larger areas beneath open planting.
‘Gloire de Marengo’ received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Three qualities combine distinctive leaf markings, self-clinging growth and evergreen cover.
The grey-green centre and broad cream margin create large, crisp patterns that remain legible from a distance.
Young shoots form aerial roots along the contact side and gradually anchor themselves to a suitable rough surface.
The persistent foliage builds a dense green and cream background, with fresh shoots adding lighter layers through the growing season.
Why you will love it: it creates generous evergreen coverage, brightens vertical spaces and retains a strong graphic presence even without flowers.
Allow it to cover a strong trellis, metal wires, a pergola or sound rough masonry. On a painted, smooth or delicate surface, use a freestanding support set slightly away from the wall so the growth remains easy to control.
For a trailing display, place it in a tall outdoor pot and leave generous free space below the rim. As ground cover, guide the first shoots outwards in several directions until they close the gaps.
Pair the luminous margin with lower-growing forms that enjoy bright partial shade and freely draining organic soil. Position companion roots slightly in front of the ivy base so every plant retains its own clear space.
Morning sun or bright partial shade suits warm Mediterranean conditions. Good light keeps the variegation crisp, but hot afternoon sun can damage the cream sectors.
Maintain even moisture during establishment and water deeply when the top few centimetres dry. Always provide free drainage.
RHS H5, approximately −15 to −10°C under British conditions. In cold or windswept positions, choose a sheltered wall.
Harmful if eaten and a possible skin irritant or allergen. Prevent chewing and wear gloves when pruning.
Provide morning sun or bright partial shade. In very deep shade the contrast may soften, while prolonged hot afternoon sun increases the risk of dry cream margins.
Plant in fertile organic soil that retains some moisture yet drains freely. Beside a wall, set the root about 30–45 cm away from the dry base and guide the shoots diagonally towards the support.
Water deeply through the first growing season whenever the surface dries. Established ivy tolerates short dry spells better, but prolonged water shortage dulls the foliage and dries the pale sectors first.
Use a heavy outdoor pot with generous drainage holes and a stable, independently fixed trellis. Repot gradually when the roots fill the available space, and check moisture more frequently in heat and wind.
Attachment rootlets work best on a sound, rough surface. On smooth render, paint, timber, insulation or a cracked wall, use an offset trellis or stainless-steel wires and prevent shoots from entering gutters, roof tiles or window frames.
1. Fan out the young shoots and tie them loosely. 2. Once they begin attaching, remove or loosen the ties. 3. In late winter, shorten growth that has crossed the intended boundary and remove every entirely green shoot at its point of origin.
In average soil, a thin spring layer of mature compost or light balanced feeding is sufficient. Avoid excess nitrogen, which encourages long, soft growth. The foliage remains evergreen, although cold may add pink tones to the cream margins.
After planting, the plant first organises its base. Young shoots are spread outwards and held loosely against the support so they do not form a single dense vertical rope.
Clusters of aerial roots form along the side touching the surface. Ties become unnecessary once the shoots anchor themselves and begin to branch.
In 5–10 years it can reach about 2.5–4 m in height and spread. Annual pruning keeps the boundaries clean and preserves a visible support structure where required.
Support gives the flexible stems an upright direction. Large variegated leaves and lateral branches thicken the cover.
The upright form requires a suitable supporting surface. Actual coverage depends on the available space and the way stems are guided.
What to expect after planting: the first progress appears in a settled base and new shoots rather than instant full coverage. As the shoots attach and branch, the cream-and-green surface becomes denser from the base upwards.
The history of ‘Gloire de Marengo’ is linked to Villa Marengo in Algiers. An account published by Gerd Krüssmann in 1964 reported that the variegated selection had been found in the villa’s garden and was originally named ‘Souvenir de Marengo’.
William Paul described a variegated Algerian ivy as ‘Variegata’ in 1867. Its identity with today’s ‘Gloire de Marengo’ remains plausible rather than certain. The cultivar historically appeared under Hedera canariensis, whereas Hedera algeriensis is now commonly used.
The cultivar received the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Small adhesive rootlets develop on young climbing stems and secure them to a surface. They differ from the roots in the ground, which provide most of the plant’s water and nutrient uptake.
Ivy can change its form as it moves from juvenile climbing growth to an adult flowering phase. Mature flowering shoots become more shrubby, and their leaves usually lose pronounced lobes. This heteroblasty is a change in developmental phase, not a change of cultivar.
Six practical answers covering light, attachment, walls, mature size, pots, reversion and safety.
Morning sun or bright partial shade gives crisp variegation with less risk of scorching. In a cool microclimate it tolerates more sun, provided the root does not remain dry for long.
Young shoots need initial training. On a sound rough surface, aerial roots gradually take over attachment; on a smooth or delicate surface, retain a permanent trellis or wires.
Attachment roots do not bore into sound masonry, but they can enter existing cracks, loose render or joints. Keep growth away from gutters, roof tiles and frames, and use an independent support where the surface is uncertain.
Allow approximately 2.5–4 m in both height and spread when supported, with the final cover shaped by the site, available surface and pruning.
This is reversion to non-variegated tissue. A green shoot usually has more photosynthetic tissue and may become more vigorous, so remove it completely at its point of origin.
Harmful if eaten; the sap may irritate skin. Keep it away from children and pets that chew plants, and wear gloves when pruning.
