Oval Office Swedish ivy
| Oval Office Swedish ivy | |
|---|---|
 Barack Obama sitting in front of the ivy | |
| Species | Plectranthus verticillatus |
| Location | Washington, DC |
A Swedish ivy plant has 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. Different presidents have used different arrangements and numbers of the Swedish ivy over the years. The plant was removed from the Oval Office during the start of Donald Trump's second presidency in 2025 and replaced with a collection of gold objects.
Plant
[edit]The plant is a Plectranthus verticillatus. It typically sits on the fireplace mantel of the Oval Office, and various pots of the ivy may rotate through the office, growing in a greenhouse when they are not in use. Different presidents have 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.[1] There has also been 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.[1] The ivy's location on the mantle has been noted as putting it directly in the president's sightline when they are sitting at the office's desk.[2] The plant usually sits beneath Charles Wilson Peale's presidential portrait of George Washington which hangs above the mantle.[2]
According to Dale Haney, the plant "loves the light" that it gets from the window to the White House Rose Garden which sits to the plant's left.[2] The plant is watered every morning at 7 am, is fed once a month with 20-20-20 fertilizer, and is misted once every six weeks. The top of the ivy occasionally needs to be trimmed to prevent it from blocking the view of the Washington portrait.[2]
History
[edit]_and_Chief_of_Staff_Jeff_Zients_(cropped).jpg)
Origin
[edit]The plant's exact origin is unknown.[1] 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.[3] Historical accounts have called this story into question however, with archivists at the John F. Kennedy presidential library unable to verify the story and Barbara Ann Perry, a Kennedy biographer, noting that the ivy only started appearing in photos during the Gerald Ford administration.[1]
Prior to the introduction of Swedish Ivy, grape ivy and philodendrons were used to decorate the mantle under Dwight Eisenhower. According to Irv Williams, who served as the Chief White House Horticulturalist, the Swedish ivy gained preference because, "You need something with a little body there on the mantel".[2]
Usage
[edit]The ivy remained in the Oval Office through every administration following its introduction to the mantle until its removal in 2025. It 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, and Donald Trump's meeting with Joe Biden following his 2024 election win.[3]
In Donald Trump's first term, the plant was divided into two smaller plants for display. During the Obama administration, the Swedish ivy was briefly swapped out for Cissus alata, another variety of ivy, before the original Swedish ivy was returned to the office.[1][4]
Removal
[edit]In February 2025, during the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump removed the plant from the mantle, replacing it with a series of gold ornaments, prompting concern among fans of the ivy. The removal was first noticed during Trump's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4th, 2025.[3] The plant had stayed on the mantle throughout Trump's first term in office. Some writers and online users speculated that the gold objects were golf trophies, as Trump has a common reputation as a fan of the sport, however, they were confirmed by the Washington Post to be historical objects, including urns and tableware from past presidents.[1]
The White House did not initially respond to questions on the plant's whereabouts,[3] but on March 18, 2025, they confirmed it had been withdrawn to the White House greenhouse where pots of the ivy had previously been kept when not in use.[1]
Some commentators critical of Trump argued that the removal of the plant was symbolic of his presidency.[3][1] One article wrote that the plant's removal was "emblematic of Trump's assault on the federal government," arguing that the plant had been "subjected to [Trump]'s Midas touch."[3] Columnist Maura Judkis wrote on Trump and the replacement of the ivy that "It’s a metaphor — a metaphor that’s corny and obvious, yes, but also needed."[1]
In popular culture
[edit]The plant features prominently in Nelson Shanks's presidential portrait of Bill Clinton, and a stylized, overgrown version of the plant provides the background for Kehinde Wiley's presidential portrait of Barack Obama.[1]
Propagations
[edit]Swedish ivy has the ability to propagate from clippings of the plant that are replanted in soil. Propagations of the Oval Office Swedish ivy have historically been a common gift to White House staffers, and are highly sought after by collectors.[4] Rico Gardaphe, a former communications staffer for the Obama administration, was given a propagation of the plant and currently runs an Instagram account dedicated to the Oval Office Swedish ivy.[1]
Reactions
[edit]Architect Tyler Survant described the plant as one of the objects that had "earned the status of fixtures" in the Oval Office through reuse across administrations, alongside the Resolute desk and Oval Office grandfather clock.[5] It has been variously described as America's "most famous houseplant" and "the world's most powerful plant".[4][3] A 1984 Time Magazine article about the plant wrote that, "No other [plant] in history has been more photographed."[2]
Dale Haney, the longtime White House horticulturist, described the plant as "amazing", emphasizing its resilience and ability to resist pests.[3]
Gallery
[edit]-
Gerald Ford and Melih Esenbel in front of the Swedish ivy in 1975. The plant was noted as bushier during the Ford years. -
-
George W. Bush and Jose Manuel Durao Barroso in front of the ivy in 2003. -
Joe Biden and Barack Obama hold a meeting beneath the ivy in 2011. -
Four Swedish ivy plants sit on the Oval Office mantle during between a 2013 meeting between Park Geun-hye and Barack Obama. -
During Donald Trump's first term, the ivy was still used as decoration, as seen in this 2017 meeting between Trump and Justin Trudeau.
(Gerald_Ford_Library)_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
References
[edit]Works cited
[edit]- Judkis, Maura (18 March 2025). "The growing legend of the missing Oval Office ivy". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- Andersen, Kurt (19 November 1984). "Living: A Permanent Oval Office Occupant". Time. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- Beaty, Kevin (16 April 2020). "Living: Houseplant of the week: The world's most powerful plant". denverite.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- Mencimer, Stephanie (8 March 2025). "The Country's Most Famous Houseplant Is Missing. What Did Trump Do With It?". Mother Jones. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- Survant, Tyler (Fall 2020). "Modeling and Remodeling The Oval Office" (PDF). Log (50): 195–202.