A Swedish ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus) plant decorated the Oval Office of the United States White House from the mid-20th century until 2025. Though a popular story attributes the plant's origins to John F. Kennedy, the exact origins of the ivy are unknown. The plant was located on top of the Oval Office's fireplace mantle, and different presidents used different arrangements and numbers of the Swedish ivy over the years. The plant was removed to the White House greenhouse out of public view during Donald Trump's 2025 redecoration of the office, and replaced with a collection of golden objects. The plant has been noted by White House horticulturalists as particularly resilient and resistant to pests. Propagations of the plant have historically been a popular gift to White House staffers, who have in turn spread the gift to growers around the United States. The plant features prominently in Barack Obama and Bill Clinton's presidential portraits, and was described as an Oval Office "fixture" and America's "most famous houseplant" prior to its removal.
Plant The plant is a Plectranthus verticillatus, commonly known as a Swedish ivy. Despite the common name, the plant is not an ivy, instead classified among the Lamiaceae family of mint and sage plants. It sat on the fireplace mantel of the Oval Office, and various pots of the ivy rotated through the office, growing in a greenhouse when they were not on display. According to Dale Haney, a longtime White House horticulturalist, every "few months" the plant would be switched with another propagation of the ivy. While one propagation of the ivy was on display in the Oval Office, a second was recuperating in the White House greenhouse. After around five rotations, a plant would be retired and replaced. According to Haney, the plant "love[d] the light" that it got from the window to the White House Rose Garden to the plant's left. The ivy's location on the mantel, directly beneath Charles Willson Peale's presidential portrait of George Washington, was noted as putting it directly in the president's line of sight from their seat at the office's desk. According to a 1984 interview given by Haney, the plant's care routine included watering every morning at 7 am, feeding once a month with 20-20-20 fertilizer, misting once every six weeks, and occasional trimming to prevent it from blocking the view of the Washington portrait. In the interview, Haney also stated that retired plants were replanted in the White House's East Lawn.
History
Origin The plant's exact origin is unknown. According to a popular story told by Bill Clinton amongst others, the plant was originally given as a gift to President John F. Kennedy in 1961 by Thomas J. Kiernan, then the Irish ambassador to the United States. Historical accounts have called this story into question, however, with archivists at the John F. Kennedy presidential library unable to confirm the story's veracity and Barbara Ann Perry, a Kennedy biographer, noting that the ivy only started appearing in photos during the presidency of Gerald Ford (1974–1977). According to Stephen Bauer, a former White House staffer, the plant was added to the Oval Office as part of a redecoration effort by Betty Ford, Gerald Ford's First Lady. A 1984 article in Time Magazine interviewed Irvin Williams, the White House Chief Horticulturalist from 1962–2008, and stated that the plant appeared under Kennedy. Williams said that prior to the introduction of the Swedish Ivy, grape ivy and philodendrons were used to decorate the mantel during Dwight Eisenhower's presidency and that, "At first we used [the Swedish Ivy] strictly experimentally." The plant eventually gained preference because, according to Haney, "You need something with a little body there on the mantel."
Usage While it is common for a new incoming president to redecorate the Oval Office to suit their tastes, the ivy remained in the Oval Office through every administration following its introduction to the mantel until its removal in 2025. Different presidents kept the plants in varying forms and levels of prunage, with Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter keeping a bushier plant and the ivy taking on a more pruned appearance during the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. There was also variance in the number of pots of the plant used, with some presidential administrations using a single pot of the plant and some using multiple pots. The plant has been noted for being photographed alongside numerous presidents and important historical figures, such as Nelson Mandela and Yitzhak Rabin, as well as important historic events, including Ronald Reagan's meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. Some White House staffers have been dismissive of the plant — Sheila Tate could not understand why people were interested in seeing the plant, and noted that Larry Speakes thought enthusiasm for the ivy was, "all pretty silly." During the Obama administration, the Swedish ivy was briefly swapped out for grape ivy before the original Swedish ivy was returned to the office. During Donald Trump's first presidency, the plant was divided into two smaller plants for display, and remained on the mantle throughout the term.
Removal
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