Outdoor Blog

12 Types of Outdoor Ivy Plants & How to Identify Them

Published

4 years ago

June 20, 2021

Outdoor ivy plants are climbers that are covered in green leaves, and the different types of ivy require different care routines.

Most have different leaf shapes and different leaf colors, but all of them are very low-maintenance plants. Because they are climbing vines, ivy plants need something to climb, like a trellis, wall, or whatever garden structure you have. Get ready to learn everything about ivy varieties, their botanical names, and their care needs.

Ivy is most well-known for climbing on structures.

1. English Ivy (aka Hedera Helix)

This evergreen vine tends to flower between late summer and late fall, and it’s very popular across the Atlantic. It has very large, dark green leaves, and it can grow up to 100 feet tall! This ivy plant needs partial shade and it spreads very quickly as a groundcover plant.

Some English ivy plants make good houseplants to put in hanging baskets too. The different varieties of this ivy plant include goldchild ivy, ivalace ivy, and needlepoint ivy. Goldchild ivy has variegated leaves, which means that the leaves are different colors on the edges and middle.

Most people think of this ivy as indoor ivy, so it’s up to you where you want to keep this plant. Ivalace ivy has curly leaves that are shiny green. The leaves are somewhat distinct because they curl so much at the edges. Needlepoint ivy gets its name because the lobes on the leaves are so sharp.

This type of ivy needs full shade because it’s more sensitive to light. This ivy is very common for ground coverage in gardens because colorful flowers will pop against its deep green leaves. English ivy is the most common ivy used, and it has over 400 cultivars.

2. Russian Ivy (aka Hedera Pastuchovii)

This ivy makes small white flowers during the summer months, and those flowers will turn into edible fruits once they finish flowering. The leaves on this ivy are a light shade of green and can develop wavy edges. This ivy does better as a climbing vine than it does at serving as ground cover.

This ivy is very invasive, so it’s not as common as the other types of ivy. It has great hardiness, and you’ll need to prune it every spring for it to keep growing at a healthy rate. It can take any kind of sun exposure, from full sun to full shade. It needs acidic soil like most ivies do. Another common name for this ivy is the Devil’s ivy.

3. Irish Ivy (aka Hedera Hibernica)

Irish ivy can climb walls or serve as ground cover. The ivy leaves of this plant are very dark green and have a glossy finish to them. This ivy has a very fast growth rate, so make sure that you keep a close eye on it to keep it from taking over your home or garden.

It grows yellowish-green flowers in the fall, and it grows purplish-black berries in the spring. Like many other kinds of ivy, Irish ivy is very invasive. It needs either full shade or full sun, and it will thrive in any kind of soil. Although it’s called Irish ivy, it’s also native in the Baltic regions, British Isles, and Scandinavian countries.

4. Boston Ivy (aka Parthenocissus Tricuspidata)

This is a type of woody vine that isn’t actually an ivy, but it’s labeled with ivies because it’s really good at climbing. Its leaves have three points that are lime green in the summer months and a reddish-purple in the winter months.

The flowers it produces aren’t very noticeable, but it makes berries in the fall that are a dark blue color. It requires some form of sunlight, ranging from partial shade to full sun. This plant actually belongs to the grape family, so the berries it produces are edible.

It needs either full sunlight or partial shade, so you should try to plant it in a place where it will get either of these options. Its flowers are goldish-yellow or white, and they bloom in the summer and spring. It can take any kind of soil, as long as it isn’t extremely acidic.

5. Himalayan Ivy (aka Hedera Nepalensis)

Out of all the ivies, this one has the best hardiness zone because it grows at very high altitudes. This ivy is native to countries in Asia, specifically Nepal and Bhutan. Its leaves are very dark green, but they have lighter veins. The leaves of this ivy are very spread out, so it’s not always the top choice for coverage of any kind.

Because this ivy came from such high altitudes in the Himalayas, it doesn’t do well in harsh heat. It should not be planted in acidic soil, only neutral soil. Its flowers are a light yellow, and they bloom during the summer and fall. Try to plant this ivy in a space where it will get full or partial shade.

6. Algerian Ivy (aka Hedera Algeriensis)

The leaves on these ivy varieties are lobed, large leaves. This type of ivy can be invasive, so make sure that you maintain control over this plant. Because it is a climbing plant, it will more than likely climb all over your house if it gets the opportunity.

Its leaves are very broad and a deep shade of green, but it has other varieties of variegation available to you. While any kind of sunlight exposure and soil will work well with this ivy, it grows more efficiently in constantly moist soil. One common variety of Algerian ivy is called Gloire de Marengo.

It’s often called heart ivy because the leaves look like hearts and are greenish-gray in the middle with white edges. Most growers have this type of ivy climb up trellises, walls, and slopes. While it creates leaves and berries, they don’t make much of an impact on the appearance of the ivy.

Algerian ivy is great in harsh weather, which means that it has great hardiness. Most people plant this ivy in California because it helps control soil erosion. It needs full shade or partial sun because it will dry out very quickly. This ivy needs a neutral kind of soil to grow in, or slightly acidic soil will also work.

7. Swedish Ivy (aka Plectranthus Australis)

This isn’t a very good climbing vine, so it’s mostly used for ground cover. Its leaves are dark green, and they have an oval shape. One interesting thing is that the undersides of the leaves are purple. This also isn’t a true ivy, and it’s in the same family as sages and mints.

All parts of this plant’s name are misleading because this plant isn’t even from Sweden; it’s from Northern Australia. Many people like to have this plant indoors because its trailing vines look very good in hanging baskets, but it’s common to find it outside as well.

It requires partial shade, and it needs neutral soil. The round shape of its leaves makes it great for ground cover in gardens because it will make the flowers pop.

Persian ivy looks like a heart, which makes it easy to remember.

8. Persian Ivy (aka Hedera Colchica)

This type of ivy has very shiny leaves that are very large compared to the other kinds of ivy leaves. The leaves can grow between six and ten inches. The leaves resemble the shape of a heart, so this ivy is sometimes referred to as Bullock’s Heart ivy.

Its leaves are very shiny and dark green. One variety of Persian ivy is called the Sulphur Heart. It takes the same heart shape as regular Persian ivy, but the color of the leaves is different. Leaves on the Sulphur Heart variety are a lime green color, and it produces gold flowers.

This ivy looks very good on dark walls because the leaves and flowers will pop. Persian ivy is sometimes referred to as Colicha ivy. It needs partial to full shade, so make sure that you don’t leave it exposed to full sunlight. This ivy won’t grow well in acidic soil, so make sure that you use neutral soil when planting this ivy.

9. Bush Ivy (aka Fatshedera Lizei)

This type of ivy is a hybrid mix of English ivy and Japanese ivy. It’s native to North America and Europe, and it’s typically used as ground cover or an indoor plant. Its leaves are deep green in the center and light yellow on the edge. It requires partial shade, and it needs acidic soil in order for it to grow well. Its flowers bloom in fall and are greenish-white.

10. Japanese Ivy (aka Hedera Rhombea)

The best way to recognize Japanese ivy is because its large heart-shaped leaves have white veins running through them. This type of ivy makes small flowers that take on the shape of umbrellas and are the color of light green. Once flowering is over, the ivy produces round fruits that are black.

Unlike most ivies, Japanese ivy isn’t used for climbing in gardens. Most people use it for ground cover. This type of ivy needs any kind of sun exposure except for full shade, or else it won’t grow. It can grow to be about 24 feet long when it’s fully mature.

It can thrive in any kind of soil, but it won’t do as well in soil that has lots of acidities.

Japanese ivy has three lobes.

11. Moroccan Ivy (aka Hedera Maroccana)

Moroccan ivy is a very close relative to Canarian ivy. Also, it isn’t the best ivy for climbing, so many people use it for ground cover. It’s used to growing in warmer climates, so it shouldn’t be planted somewhere that’s cold. It likes warmer climates because it originated from Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Northern Africa.

This kind of ivy loves rocky surfaces and tree trunks. This ivy has green flowers that bloom in the fall. It can thrive in almost any kind of soil, extremely acidic soil being the only exception. It needs full sun exposure or partial/full shade. This ivy looks very good on light-colored trellises because the leaves are such a dark shade of green.

12. Canarian Ivy (aka Hedera Canariensis)

This type of ivy is from the Canary Islands and is North African, and even though some people call Algerian ivy by this name, they are two different species. The growth habit of this ivy is very impressive; it can grow up to 100 feet tall! Its leaves grow very close together, so this plant is great for both ground coverage and climbing vine.

One interesting thing about this ivy is that you can train it to grow however you want it to. Its flowers bloom in the summer and fall and are a whitish-green color. It needs any kind of soil and any kind of sunlight exposure other than full sunlight. It grows in forests, so it makes sense that it really likes shade.

How to Spot Poison Ivy

Just about everyone has heard of poison ivy and how much it itches when you come in contact with it. It’s extremely common in North America. You can recognize poison ivy because it has a triad of leaves, but there are several different types of plants that look like this.

For people who love to hike and camp, it’s important to know what poison ivy looks like and how to treat it if you come in contact with it. You should also know how to clear out poison ivy infestations from your home.

Here are some of the defining characteristics of poison ivy:

Smoother/toothed leaf edges that aren’t serrated or lobed
Pointy leaf tips
Smooth or shiny appearance on leaves
Leaves look droopy
The middle leaf is bigger than the two other leaves
Two outside leaves grow from the main stem

Color and berries aren’t always the best indicator for poison ivy because leaf color varies with the season and many other plants have yellowish-white berries. The main thing to do when trying to figure out if a plant is poison ivy or not is to leave it alone.

You don’t want to be touching the plant and then come to the realization that it’s poison ivy. When trying to get rid of a poison ivy infestation, there are a number of things to do. First of all, cover yourself from head to toe to prevent touching the plant.

Next, choose a day when it’s not raining or windy so the leaves don’t get away from you. Then, cut the plant as much as you can and dig up some of the roots. After you’ve got what you think you can manually, use a herbicide to kill off the rest of it.

You might think that you’re done after that, but unfortunately, you aren’t. To dispose of the poison ivy, throw it away in thick garbage bags. Whatever you do, don’t burn it because it’s very dangerous to burn. Throw your gloves away as well.

All that’s left to do is wash everything, which means your gardening tools, clothes, and shoes. Touching poison ivy isn’t the end of the world, but it might feel like it at the time. You’ll more than likely get a very itchy, raised rash that can last between 5 and 12 days.

If you know that you’ve touched poison ivy, wash the area with cold water and soap. You can use an oatmeal bath, cortisone cream, and calamine lotion to relieve the itch, but time is the only thing that will get rid of the infection.

Outdoor Blog

How to Take Your Own Internet to Outdoor Events

Published

3 weeks ago

October 18, 2025

Jonas Muthoni

You’ve got the permits, the lineup, the stage design, and the crowd — but when it comes to WiFi, outdoor events can turn from dream festivals to data dead zones in minutes. Reliable connectivity is now as essential as power or sound. Whether it’s a music festival streaming to TikTok, a food fair using mobile POS systems, or a corporate brand activation relying on live dashboards, the internet connection is what keeps the gears turning.

But the truth is this: counting on venue WiFi at a large outdoor event is a gamble. Hundreds of devices fighting for the same bandwidth can jam up the signal before the headliner gets on stage. Public networks only have one backhaul connection, so your production crew, security cameras, and vendors could all be fighting with concert-goers streaming YouTube in the crowd.

So, if your aspiration is to keep the event chugging along like clockwork, the genius move is to bring your own internet — designed specifically for the occasion, private, and controlled by your event staff.

Why Venue WiFi Fails When Crowds Arrive

Let’s start with the numbers. According to Cisco’s 2024 Annual Internet Report, the average person now connects four to six devices at live events — phones, wearables, tablets, scanners, and streaming gear. Multiply that by 5,000 or 50,000 people, and you’re looking at a digital traffic jam.

Outdoor locations have a very minimal amount of wired infrastructure. The majority utilize older systems or common fiber links, which were not designed for thousands of users at once. When the signal is over-stretched, latency increases, access points fail, and the network grinds to a halt.

For event organizers, this is not only inconvenient — it’s a safety and revenue gamble. POS terminals won’t work. QR ticket scanners crawl. Even backup communication programs freeze.

The Smarter Solution: Creating Your Own Network

Constructing a stand-alone network for an outside event may seem daunting, but technology has made it relatively achievable. Instead of relying on one provider or tower, professional crews now use several sources of the internet to deliver redundancy and stability.

Outdoor WiFi specialists use multi-carrier cellular bonding, satellite uplinks, and WAN smoothing to keep traffic consistent even when one source is down. It’s a lot like having several water pipes feed one tank — if one pipe gets stopped up, others keep the flow consistent.

The best configuration depends on three variables:

Location: Urban park, remote valley, rooftop, or open desert all have different signal profiles and line-of-sight challenges.
Bandwidth Demand: Are you providing power to a 50-person AV crew or streaming to a million online viewers?
Duration: A day-long music festival versus a week-long brand tour will change the way you plan power, cooling, and redundancy.

Professional crews will often pre-deploy with site surveys — gauging carrier strength, spectrum congestion, and potential sources of interference such as LED walls or nearby broadcast towers.

Lessons from the Field

Outdoor WiFi would be a niche specialty, but in today’s world it’s simply part and parcel of modern event production. In the last decade, TradeShowInternet’s teams have helped support hundreds of big outdoor festivals and corporate activations, and there have been a few hard-won lessons along the way.

There was the time crews climbed a half mile up the flank of a Santa Fe mountain with over 200 pounds of gear to put in a solar-powered relay antenna for Red Bull’s Guinness World Record truck jump. A second assignment involved digging cable trenches through snake country in Los Angeles for Christian Dior’s fashion show.

When Univision taped La Banda on the beach in Miami, technicians climbed a 20-foot truss into a lightning storm to raise antennas. These are probably war stories, but they represent reality: each outdoor location introduces its own wildcards. Wind, weather, terrain, and local RF noise all push the limits of planning.

The lesson? Experience is as important as gear. Knowing when to use additional directional antennas, when to flip to satellite failover, or how to protect a router from 100-degree heat isn’t something you can read in a manual.

The Technical Side: How Redundant Networks Keep Events Alive

This is how seasoned outdoor internet crews engineer reliability into temporary networks:

Multi-Carrier Bonding: Equipment stitches together data from multiple cellular carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) to maximize bandwidth and fill signal gaps.

WAN Smoothing: Packets are duplicated and relayed on secondary paths to prevent noticeable drops or hiccups in live streams.
Satellite Integration: Especially when out at remote sites or in mountain events where cell phone reception is spotty.
5G + LTE Hybrid Units: Combining newer high-bandwidth 5G networks with more predictable LTE offers well-rounded throughput.
Portable Mesh Access Points: Create overlapping areas of WiFi that eliminate dead spots across vast grounds or over tented locations.
Power & Weather Protection: Ranging from Pelican case enclosures to solar power solutions, all of which ensure uptime regardless of adverse weather conditions.

It’s a multi-layer strategy — not one device straining the load, but several working in tandem to handle bandwidth, robustness, and coverage.

Why Your Vendors, AV Staff, and Guests All Need Their Own Network Layer

External events normally have three distinct user communities that require the internet:

Production and AV Personnel – operation of live feeds, mixing panels, lighting, and communications programs.
Vendors and POS Devices – card transaction processing, QR menus, and inventory software.
Guests and Media – posting, uploading, or taking part in brand interaction activity.

Mixing them all on one open WiFi is risky. It provides security vulnerabilities and causes too much congestion. The preferred method is network segmentation, creating separate virtual networks that prioritize mission-critical traffic (production, POS, security cameras) and restrict non-mission-critical use like social browsing.

This is exactly how professional outdoor WiFi & Internet solution companies like TradeShowInternet build event systems. They design bespoke topologies that match the unique demands of every event, whether a food festival, marathon, or big corporate activation.

Budgeting and Planning: What Organizers Should Know

According to EventMB’s 2024 Event Technology Report, 73% of event planners say maintaining a reliable connection is important to attendee happiness, yet less than half have a standalone internet budget in place upfront while planning. That’s a recipe for last-minute scrambling.

For all to run smoothly, the network plan needs to be created alongside stage design and power planning — not an afterthought.

Some planning advice:

Start early: Conduct site surveys at least 30 days ahead of the event.
Prioritize wired backbones: Use fiber or Ethernet in production areas whenever possible.
Segregate guest WiFi: Utilize bandwidth caps or sponsored captive portals to control usage.
Redundancy: Cellular + satellite bonding is well worth the investment for mission-critical space.
Post-event review: Collect performance data to inform next year’s plan.

Real-World Use Cases

Outdoor connectivity is not just for music festivals. It’s a necessity for:

Marathons and triathlons – for timing chips, live maps, and emergency co-ordination.
Outdoor conferences or summits – where executives require office-grade internet to make presentations.
Food truck festivals and markets – all vendors need POS access.
Film and TV productions – production villages rely on low-latency connections for uploads.
Races and motorsport events – telemetry, live scoring, and media streaming.

Each of these environments needs a different trade-off among coverage area, upload speed, and mobility.

Why Experience Matters for Outdoor Internet Installations

Each outdoor location is unique. Trees, humidity, metal buildings, even bodies of water can affect wireless performance. Having individuals who’ve done hundreds of installations means fewer surprises and faster repairs when something unexpected happens.

That’s where TradeShowInternet, a leading outdoor WiFi & Internet solution company, comes in. The company has built up networks on deserts, beaches, helipads, mountain ridges, and pop-up brand villages — keeping organizers, vendors, and AV teams connected wherever the event is hosted.

Outdoor Blog

Outdoor Event WiFi: The New Backbone of Open-Air Experiences

Published

3 weeks ago

October 17, 2025

Jonas Muthoni

A concert in the canyon. A film night under desert stars. A bustling waterfront food festival with 10,000 guests. Across the country, outdoor events are turning parks, coastlines, forests, and fields into memorable destinations. But there’s one service now as essential as power, permits, and porta-potties: outdoor event WiFi.

Whether for ticket scanning, mobile POS systems, sponsor activations, or live-streaming performances, WiFi for outdoor events has become the invisible support that keeps everything running. Without it, payments stall, communication falters, and digital engagement stops.

Why Outdoor Event WiFi Is Mission-Critical

The outdoor events sector, from farmers’ markets to endurance races, is growing quickly. Allied Market Research predicts global festival revenues will exceed $50B by 2030. These venues offer unique charm, but they also pose a challenge: a lack of built-in internet infrastructure.

“Outside doesn’t mean offline,” says Emma Castillo, a production manager for festivals, film nights, and open-air corporate launches. “We rely on temporary internet for outdoor events to manage our security communications, allow vendors to keep selling, and ensure our livestreams don’t drop.”

Cellular service can struggle with the demands of thousands of devices. Some remote locations may not have any service at all. That’s where outdoor event WiFi solutions come in—portable, scalable, and designed for unpredictable weather.

How Outdoor Internet Keeps Events Moving

Today’s outdoor events rely on connectivity in ways that go far beyond letting guests post on social media:

Mobile POS & Cashless Payments – No signal means lost revenue for vendors.
RFID & Access Control – Real-time validation at gates and VIP areas.
Streaming & Social Content – From TikTok reels to sponsor livestreams.
Sponsor Engagement – QR contests, AR activations, and digital signage updates.
Safety & Logistics – Staff communication, emergency alerts, GPS tracking.

A recent Event Manager Blog study found 63% of sponsors now require guaranteed internet access before committing. Attendees want it too; more than half say connectivity is a key factor in their event satisfaction.

Outdoor Event WiFi Solutions in Action: “Lights on the Lake”

In June, the lakeside town of Lakeshore hosted a three-day open-air film festival. The views were stunning, but no wired internet was available, and mobile service barely worked.

The technical crew set up:

Multi-carrier 5G bonding for vendor and guest networks
Long-range weatherproof access points covering the pier and food court
A private secure network for organizers and emergency staff
A satellite uplink for backup

The festival processed thousands of transactions, streamed Q&A sessions with international filmmakers, and even operated a live voting app without a single connectivity failure.

Industry Perspective: Connectivity as a Core Utility

According to WiFit founder Matt Cicek, changes in event technology priorities have been significant:

“Five years ago, internet at an outdoor event was seen as a nice-to-have. Now, it’s as essential as running water and electricity. From safety coordination to sponsor returns, there’s too much at stake to leave it to chance.”

The Future of Temporary Internet for Outdoor Events

As events become more complex, WiFi for outdoor events from service providers like WiFit will play an even larger role. Expect advancements like:

Solar-powered network kits for sustainable operations
AI-managed bandwidth that adjusts to real-time crowd size
Edge computing for instant AR and interactive attractions

For event planners, the message is clear: the quality of your internet connection is as important as your stage, lighting, or sound system. The next time you’re booking a venue, remember—the crowd may be watching the performers, but they’re also looking at their screens. They expect both to work perfectly.

Outdoor Blog

Gear You Should Snag for the Great Outdoors This Season

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

Caleb Cole

Outdoor enthusiasts know that having the right gear can make all the difference. Whether you’re hiking, camping, hunting, or engaging in any other outdoor activity, quality equipment ensures not only safety but also a better overall experience. As we head into a new season, it’s time to refresh your gear collection with essential items that will enhance your adventures. In this article, we’ll explore five pieces of must-have outdoor gear, focusing on both practicality and comfort.

Shooting Glasses Are Essential for Outdoor Adventures

If you’re heading out for a shooting range session or a hunting trip, investing in a quality pair of shooting glasses is non-negotiable. Eye protection is critical when engaging in any activity involving firearms, and shooting glasses are designed to keep your eyes safe from potential hazards like debris, shell casings, and even harmful UV rays.

Shooting glasses are a key safety measure that helps shield your eyes from impact and glare. The lenses are typically made from high-impact resistant materials that can endure tough conditions, making them a must-have for hunters, target shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Beyond safety, these glasses often come with polarized lenses to improve visibility in various lighting conditions. By incorporating shooting glasses into your outdoor gear, you’re ensuring not only better safety but also improved performance during your time in the wilderness.

What Should You Look For During Black Friday Hunting Gear Deals?

One of the best times to stock up on essential outdoor gear is during Black Friday. Black Friday hunting gear deals provide an opportunity for hunters to snag high-quality items at significantly reduced prices. Whether you’re after apparel, backpacks, or specialized equipment, Black Friday sales often feature steep discounts on top brands that every outdoor enthusiast should take advantage of.

This sale season is ideal for upgrading your hunting wardrobe and stocking up on essential gear that may normally be out of your price range. From weather-resistant jackets to durable boots and base layers, hunting gear can be pricey, and Black Friday is the perfect time to invest in the best equipment. By keeping an eye out for deals during this shopping period, you can save money while ensuring you’re well-prepared for your next big adventure.

Multi-Tools Are a Must-Have

Want to know the most versatile pieces of gear you can carry? It is a multi-tool. Whether you’re camping, hiking, or hunting, having a tool that can serve multiple functions is a game-changer. Multi-tools come equipped with a variety of features such as knives, screwdrivers, pliers, and scissors, all compactly housed in a single device that easily fits in your pocket or pack.

The practicality of a multi-tool is hard to beat. It allows you to tackle unexpected tasks, from cutting rope to repairing gear, all without needing to carry a full toolbox. When you’re out in the wild, you want to be prepared for anything, and a multi-tool ensures you’re ready to handle small emergencies or make quick fixes with ease.

Insulated Water Bottles Can Improve Your Outdoor Experience

Staying hydrated is one of the most important aspects of any outdoor activity. Whether you’re embarking on a long hike or spending hours in a hunting blind, having an insulated water bottle can make a difference. Insulated bottles have features that help to keep your drinks at the desired temperature for a long time, which is especially useful during extreme weather conditions.

These bottles maintain the temperature of your beverage—whether cold or hot—so you can enjoy refreshing water in the summer or a warm drink during chilly morning hunts. Insulated water bottles are also typically made from durable materials, meaning they can withstand the rigors of outdoor use without breaking or leaking. Investing in a high-quality insulated bottle ensures that you stay hydrated and comfortable throughout your outdoor excursions.

Durable Backpacks Can Enhance Your Outdoor Experience

A good backpack is the cornerstone of any successful outdoor trip. When you’re out in nature, you need a reliable, durable pack to carry all of your gear comfortably. Look for backpacks that are built to withstand harsh conditions, provide ample storage, and have ergonomic designs that distribute weight evenly to prevent strain on your back and shoulders.

Modern outdoor backpacks come equipped with multiple compartments to help you stay organized, as well as specialized features like hydration bladder compatibility, rain covers, and reinforced straps. By investing in a durable, well-designed backpack, you’ll have the capacity to carry everything you need—whether it’s extra clothing, food, or hunting gear—while maintaining comfort during long treks.