Lance, I think it ought to tolerate the sun and heat without severe scorching. There are some fungal diseases that cause brown leaves on Boston Ivy. Some of them are the same diseases seen on grape leaves. Google 'Boston Ivy diseases' and you should find info on the one I'm thinking of. It starts with a g.

Dawn

I planted some English Ivy on a few trellises in the backyard (not a popular thing to say in horticultural circles, I know, but I like it). They are getting the same spotting. I've read online that it's a bacterial leaf spot that the plant is more susceptible to in the extreme heat of summer. Not much to do about it I don't think, unless you can somehow provide it with more shade. I planted mine about 2 months ago, and they haven't done too much since then. They only get partial sun, but I think it's been enough to keep them from growing. I've been thinking of replacing them with Carolina Jessamine if they don't perk up in the fall.

-Matt

Lance,

The disease I was thinking of is discussed in the linked webpage below. When you click on it, you'll see they are discussing grape diseases, but if you read down a couple of sentences, you'll see that the mention the disease affects Boston Ivy and Virginia Creeper as well. I don't usually see it on my Virginia Creeper....only in the absolute wettest of years.

Matt,

If you have children, you should know that all parts of Carolina Jessamine are highly poisonous. There have been cases reported of children becoming ill after sucking the nectar out of the flowers, like lots of us used to do with honeysuckle when we were kids. Deer do tend to avoid eating it though, so it is a great plant for folks with a deer problem.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: MOBOT: Disease iof Boston Ivy