Despite their similar common names, English Ivy and Devil's Ivy belong to entirely different botanical genera. English Ivy is known scientifically as Hedera helix and is a member of the Araliaceae family. It is a true ivy, a climbing or ground-creeping woody vine native to Europe and Western Asia. Devil's Ivy, on the other hand, is the common name for a plant usually known as Pothos. Its scientific name is Epipremnum aureum, and it belongs to the Araceae family, making it a relative of peace lilies and philodendrons. It is a tropical vine native to French Polynesia. This fundamental difference in lineage is the root of all their other distinctions.
The leaves of these two plants offer the most apparent visual differences. English Ivy leaves are typically lobed, with a classic three-to-five-pointed shape that is iconic. The leaves are leathery, with a waxy feel, and their veins are often a paler green, creating a distinct network pattern. The leaf arrangement on the stem is alternate. In contrast, Devil's Ivy leaves are heart-shaped or cordate, lacking any lobes. They are broader and generally larger when mature under ideal conditions. The leaves are smoother and less leathery than English Ivy, with a glossy sheen. The variegation patterns also differ; while both can be variegated, Pothos famously displays bold, marbled, or streaked patterns of creamy yellow or white.
Both plants are climbers, but they achieve this through different physical means. English Ivy is an aggressive climber that uses adventitious roots, often called aerial rootlets, which emerge from its stems. These rootlets secrete a sticky substance that allows the vine to attach firmly and permanently to surfaces like brick, wood, and tree bark. This tenacious grip is why it can damage structures over time. Devil's Ivy has a more restrained approach. It produces aerial roots from its nodes (the points on the stem where leaves grow), but these roots are primarily for absorbing moisture and nutrients from the air. They do not secrete a powerful adhesive. Instead, Pothos uses these roots to anchor itself by growing into moss poles or rough surfaces, but it cannot cling to flat walls on its own.
As plants from different parts of the world, their environmental needs are distinct. English Ivy is a temperate plant, prized for its cold hardiness. It can survive winters in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9, often remaining evergreen. It thrives in cooler temperatures and can tolerate lower light conditions better than many plants, though it prefers bright, indirect light. Devil's Ivy is a child of the tropics. It is extremely sensitive to cold and will die if exposed to frost. It thrives in consistently warm temperatures and high humidity. While it can adapt to lower light, its signature variegation will fade, and growth will slow significantly. It prefers bright, indirect light to maintain its vibrant colors and vigorous growth.
Another key botanical difference lies in their reproductive habits. It is exceptionally rare for Devil's Ivy (Epipremnum aureum) to flower or produce fruit when grown as a houseplant. In its mature, natural habitat, it can produce an inflorescence typical of the Araceae family—a spathe and spadix similar to a peace lily. English Ivy (Hedera helix), however, has a distinct juvenile and mature phase. The juvenile phase is the climbing form with lobed leaves. Once the vine reaches the top of its support and matures, it undergoes a change, producing unlobed, diamond-shaped leaves and, significantly, umbels of greenish-yellow flowers in the fall. These flowers are followed by clusters of blackish-blue berries in late winter, which are toxic to humans but a food source for birds.
