Ivy takes over fast. One season of missed trimming and you’ve got tendrils climbing the fence, choking the hedges, and working roots deep under the lawn. Picking the right herbicide makes the difference between a weekend chore and a season-long fight. Below are eight formulas built to handle English ivy, poison ivy, and ground ivy, each suited to a different yard, tolerance for mixing, and appetite for follow-up work.
A Side-By-Side Look
Hi-Yield Killzall Weed & Grass Killer (32 oz)
Fertilome Brush Killer & Stump Killer, 32 oz
Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer, 128 oz
Roundup Dual Action 365 + 12 Month Preventer, 1.33 gal
Roundup Poison Ivy Plus Tough Brush Killer, 32 oz
Roundup Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate, 1 gal
Bonide Poison Ivy & Brush Killer BK-32, 32 oz
Roundup Dual Action + 4 Month Preventer Concentrate
More Details On Our Top Picks
For a yard where ivy has marched well past the flower bed and started colonizing fence rows or gravel driveways, the Hi-Yield Killzall concentrate earns its spot at the top of the bench. A single 32 oz bottle dilutes to cover broad acreage, so a single weekend sweep can handle what would otherwise take multiple sessions with smaller ready-to-use sprayers.
The double-surfactant blend (surfactants help the active ingredient stick to waxy leaves and penetrate more deeply) means you spend less time chasing missed leaves on a second pass. For homeowners battling English ivy that’s crept into the back forty, this concentrate trades mixing effort for raw coverage.
A Strong Showing
- Treats a large footprint from a single bottle
- Engineered to cling to glossy ivy leaves
- Cost-effective for properties with widespread infestations
- Concentrate format lets you tune the mix
- Commonly stocked in farm and garden supply channels
Points To Note
- Requires dilution and a separate sprayer
- Not labeled for lawn use; overspray damages turf
- Concentrate should be stored away from children and pets
Key Product Details
Best Suited To
Homeowners with large ivy infestations on non-lawn surfaces who already own a pump sprayer and want to handle the job in a single afternoon.
Look Elsewhere When
The Bonide Poison Ivy & Brush Killer BK-32 is a smarter pick if you need to kill ivy climbing through a lawn without damaging the surrounding grass.
When ivy is climbing up into the dogwood or has wrapped around the base of the old maple, you need something that handles woody growth, not just leafy ground cover. The Fertilome Brush Killer pulls double duty: brushed straight onto freshly cut stumps or thinned down for a foliar spray, it tackles the full range of woody invaders climbing your trees.
For foliar spraying on leaves, you mix the concentrate at roughly 8 oz per gallon of water, which gives enough volume to coat a fence line of vines. The stump application path is what sets it apart from the rest of this list, making it a two-tool solution for properties where old tree removal and ivy control happen back to back.
Features That Help
- Works as both a foliar spray and a stump treatment
- Targets woody vines that climb into canopy
- Stump application needs to happen within 45 minutes of cutting for best uptake
Trade Offs
- Brush for stump application not included
- Mixing required for foliar use
- Concentrate storage demands a cool, dry spot out of reach of pets
Feature Snapshot
Right Fit For
Property managers and homeowners with ivy climbing trees who also have a recently cut stump they want kept from resprouting.
Swap It Out When
Pick the Roundup Poison Ivy Plus Tough Brush Killer instead if the main concern is poison ivy near an entry path and you want faster visible results on leaves.
Ground ivy (the creeping perennial that pops up between grass blades in spring) plays by different rules than the vines climbing the back fence. You want it gone without sacrificing the lawn underneath. Bonide’s ready-to-use spray targets ground ivy specifically while keeping the surrounding turf alive, which is a much narrower job than the broad-spectrum formulas on this list.
It’s a 128 oz jug with a trigger sprayer, so there’s no measuring or mixing. For a homeowner who wants to walk the lawn in late afternoon and treat creeping ivy patches without pulling out measuring cups, the convenience justifies the bulk.
Useful Touches
- Targets ground ivy without harming most turf grasses
- Pre-mixed, so no measuring required
- Generous 128 oz volume handles multiple mow cycles’ worth of patches
- Visible results start overnight for many weeds
Worth Bearing In Mind
- Bulkier to carry than a quart sprayer
- Specialized for lawn weeds, not woody vines
- Re-treatments are commonly needed for stubborn patches
Quick Facts
Whose Shelf It Belongs On
Homeowners who care about keeping a healthy lawn while clearing creeping ground ivy from broad turf areas.
Consider Something Else When
The Roundup Dual Action 365 with 12-month preventer makes more sense if the goal is to kill ivy in patio cracks and keep new shoots from emerging for an entire growing season.
Killing the ivy you can see is half the battle; keeping it from coming back is the other half. The Roundup Dual Action 365 combines a foliar kill with a soil residual (a barrier that prevents new weed seeds from germinating for an extended period), giving you up to a full year of suppression in places like patio cracks, gravel walkways, and fence lines.
The Pump ‘N Go 2 sprayer on this 1.33 gal jug means you can pressurize the container, then spray continuously without hand-pumping every few minutes. For larger driveways and long fence rows, that ergonomic difference adds up over a Saturday.
What Stands Out
- Kills existing ivy and prevents regrowth for up to a year
- Built-in sprayer reduces hand fatigue on big jobs
- Targets woody plants like poison ivy and tough brush
- Rainfast in as little as 30 minutes for unplanned weather
Practical Considerations
- Heavier jug to haul around
- Preventer barrier rules out replanting in treated soil for months
- Overspray should be kept well clear of lawn and flower beds
Who Should Grab It
Homeowners with long fence lines, gravel driveways, or patio edges where ivy keeps returning season after season.
A Better Fit Elsewhere
The Bonide Poison Ivy & Brush Killer BK-32 is a better match when you need to treat ivy that’s mixed into an existing lawn and want to keep the grass alive.
Poison ivy turns a routine weed job into a medical hazard. Anyone with a sensitivity or a child who plays in the yard wants a formula that targets urushiol-producing plants specifically. This Roundup concentrate is built for poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and the rougher brush neighbors like wild blackberry and kudzu.
You can expect to see leaves curling within hours, with full kill reaching the roots over the following weeks. Replanting is allowed just 1 to 30 days after application depending on what you’re putting in, which matters for anyone planning to landscape the cleared area the same season.
Strengths Worth Knowing
- Targets the trio of toxic vines specifically
- Fast visible results reduce guesswork
- Rainfast in roughly 30 minutes
- Replant window of 1 to 30 days for follow-up landscaping
Honest Caveats
- Concentrate requires careful mixing and PPE
- Not selective; grass and ornamentals in the spray zone will be killed too
Made For
Households with confirmed poison ivy or poison oak problems, especially near play areas, garden paths, or pet runs.
Where A Sibling Pick Shines
For English ivy or ornamental ivy in the yard, the Fertilome Brush Killer covers woody vines without the toxic-plant premium.
Sometimes the job is bigger than a single bottle and smaller than a dedicated brush-clearing project. The Roundup Weed & Grass Killer4 in a one-gallon jug hits that middle ground, covering broad property cleanups where ivy is mixed with general weed pressure along fence rows, around sheds, and across gravel turnaround areas.
It’s a concentrate, so you’ll mix it to suit the target. Visible results show up within hours, and rainfast performance holds up if a surprise shower rolls through. For most folks treating a half-acre of mixed weeds with ivy woven in, the one-gallon size is the practical sweet spot.
Notable Upsides
- Larger concentrate jug cuts down on repeat purchases
- Effective on mixed populations including poison ivy
- Visible damage within hours of application
- Plant-back window from 1 to 30 days depending on crop
Factors To Consider
- Total vegetation killer, so aim carefully near desirable plants
- Bulkier container requires a storage plan
At A Glance
Perfect Match For
Property owners with extensive non-lawn areas where ivy is one of several stubborn weeds to clear in a single season.
Skip It When
The Hi-Yield Killzall concentrate is a better fit for smaller lots, since the 32 oz bottle is easier to handle and store than a full gallon.
Most brush killers treat grass the same way they treat ivy, leaving bare brown patches wherever you spray. The Bonide BK-32 flips that script. It’s labeled to clear poison ivy, poison oak, kudzu, wild blackberry, and over 240 other tough species while leaving the surrounding turfgrass unharmed, which is rare in this category.
It also doubles as a stump killer for tree removal follow-up. For homeowners whose ivy problem overlaps with the lawn they actually want to keep, this is the most balanced trade-off on the list. A single application is often enough for visible results.
Practical Advantages
- Selective action preserves desirable turfgrass
- Single application is often enough
- Also handles tree stump regrowth
- Covers an exceptionally long target list of woody plants
Smaller Caveats
- Requires careful mixing ratios
- Concentrate storage calls for a cool, dry, locked spot
Who Will Love This
Homeowners with ivy patches woven through a lawn they don’t want to sacrifice, plus anyone managing woody brush along the property edge.
Another Choice May Suit
The Roundup Poison Ivy Plus Tough Brush Killer is a stronger choice if you don’t have grass to protect and want the most aggressive toxic-vine formula.
If you want the kill-plus-preventer combo but don’t need a full 12 months of soil residual, this concentrate version of the Dual Action line gives you about four months of regrowth suppression. That’s a long enough window to skip one full growing season of weeding in problem areas like patio cracks, gravel borders, and mailbox post bases.
Because it’s a concentrate rather than a pre-mixed jug, you’ll want a pump sprayer on hand. The trade-off is flexibility: you can dial in the mix for spot treatments versus full-coverage applications on the same property.
Useful Highlights
- Kills existing ivy and prevents regrowth for roughly four months
- Concentrate lets you match the mix to the job size
- Effective in cracks, gravel, and along hardscape edges
A Few Limitations
- Treated soil cannot be replanted during the residual window
- Requires a separate pump sprayer
Built With In Mind
Homeowners tackling ivy along hardscape features who want a full season of suppression without committing to a year-long barrier.
Reach For A Different Pick When
The Roundup Dual Action 365 with 12-month preventer is the right call if you’d rather treat once and skip an entire year of regrowth.
Choosing The Right Herbicide For Stubborn Ivy
Ivy control comes down to three questions before you pick a bottle: where the ivy is growing, what surrounds it, and how persistent you want the solution to be.
Match the formula to the location. Non-selective herbicides (those that kill nearly any plant they touch) like the Hi-Yield Killzall and Roundup concentrates work well on fence rows, gravel, and driveway cracks. Lawn-selective formulas like the Bonide BK-32 and Bonide Chickweed Killer are safer choices when ivy is woven into turf you want to preserve.
Account for the surrounding plants. Drift and overspray damage ornamentals, vegetables, and grass. Concentrates demand careful application; ready-to-use sprays reduce the risk of measurement mistakes. If children or pets use the area, look for products that dry quickly and follow label re-entry guidance closely.
Consider woody versus leafy growth. Ground ivy (creeping charlie) responds to broadleaf turf herbicides. English ivy and poison ivy, both woody vines, need brush-killer strength. Stump-applied formulas like the Fertilome option make sense when ivy has climbed trees you’ll eventually need to remove anyway.
Plan for follow-up. Ivy rarely dies in a single pass. Systemic herbicides (those absorbed by the plant and carried to the roots) work over weeks, so resist the urge to re-spray too soon. For high-traffic problem zones, a kill-plus-preventer formula reduces the number of repeat treatments across the season.
Key Points Before You Buy
Pitfalls Worth Dodging
Mixing concentrates in the wrong ratio is the most common mistake. Too little product wastes time; too much risks damaging nearby ornamentals and raises costs unnecessarily. Always measure against the label’s specific dilution chart, not a guess.
Where The Extra Money Goes
Premium formulas earn their keep with surfactant packages that improve leaf coverage, faster visible results, and longer soil residuals. For one-time cleanups, the basic concentrate is plenty. For recurring ivy pressure in the same spots season after season, the preventer blends save labor and frustration in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will one application kill ivy completely? Most systemic herbicides weaken ivy over several weeks, with full root kill often requiring a second pass in stubborn patches. Plan for at least one follow-up treatment before declaring victory.
Can I spray ivy in my lawn without harming the grass? Selective formulas like Bonide BK-32 or Bonide Chickweed Killer are designed for that scenario. Always confirm the product label lists your grass species before treating.
How long before rain is safe after spraying? Many modern herbicides become rainfast within 30 minutes, but check the specific label. A surprise shower soon after application can wash product off before it penetrates.
Is poison ivy herbicide safe around pets? Dried treated foliage is generally lower risk than fresh, but keep pets out of the application zone until the spray has fully dried and follow label guidance for re-entry intervals.
When is the best season to treat ivy? Late summer through early fall is typically most effective, when plants move sap (and herbicide) down toward the roots in preparation for dormancy.
Wrap Up
Ivy is one of the more persistent invaders a homeowner faces, but the right herbicide turns a multi-season fight into a manageable weekend job. Match the formula to your setting, protect the plants you want to keep, and give the systemic chemistry time to reach the roots. The eight picks above cover the most common scenarios, from lawn-safe spot treatments to full-property barrier solutions, so the right bottle is on this list for almost any yard.
