I admit it, I’m a plant hoarder. Once I become interested in a plant, especially if it comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors, I can’t stop myself. I become obsessed with collecting every specimen I can find (I’ve even hauled plants home in my suitcase that I’ve discovered in garden centers around the country). When I lived in Iowa, for example, I started collecting agaves. I don’t know what attracted them to me in the beginning, but I soon became addicted to these super spikey beauties, collecting over a dozen different types, each one more interesting than the next. But sadly, none of these desert natives could handle Iowa’s cold winters so every fall I’d have to lug them into the house for the season, a task that often left me bloody and bandaged.  

Now that I’m older and hopefully a bit wiser, I have a new passion: ivies. These handsome holiday favorites come in an almost unlimited selection of leaf shapes and colors. They are also super versatile, living happily in a hanging basket, urn, or trained on a topiary cone or ring. You can also grow ivies in a pot by themselves or with filler plants in a mixed container alongside annuals, perennials, or houseplants.

I’m particularly fond of ivies with variegated leaves and, in particular, those with gold and yellow markings such as Gold Dust, Gold Baby, Yellow Ripple, Manda’s Yellow, and Lauren’s Lace. But those with silver or white patterns are also drop dead gorgeous and look terrific inter-planted with the gold ones. Varieties with white or silver markings include: Adam, Ingrid Liz, Jubilee, Little Hermann, Millennium, Mini Adam, Silver Bells, Silver Dollar, Silver Lace, Surprise, Primadonna, Nena, Mint Kolibri, and Sarah.

With ivies you also get to select from different leaf shapes. My Heart ivy, for example, produces large dark green heart-shaped foliage while Fluffy Ruffles ivy sports wavy, ruffled leaves. Those ivies with pretty, narrow leaves include Hermania, Hester, Spearpoint, and Starling. 

It’s easy to see how these darling little plants are so collectible. Plus, they’re a traditional plant for holiday decorating and make excellent gifts for the plant lover on your shopping list.