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Invasive plant alert: English ivy
English ivy is a visually-pleasing plant used to cover walls, fences, and ground cover. It’s also popular in hanging baskets thanks to its low maintenance. This plant gives us the feeling of being in a little cottage in the English countryside.
Let’s keep it in our fantasies and out of our native gardens and woodlands!
English ivy is highly invasive throughout the United States
English ivy, Hedera helix, was brought to the United States by colonial settlers. This plant is highly invasive throughout the country and should never be planted. This plant is spread through propagation, birds spreading the seeds, and stems taking root where nodes touch the ground.
As such, it can quickly smother out native species through its thick foliage and climb into tree canopies via aerial rootlets.
English ivy can damage homes
While very pretty on homes, this plant should be removed. It can easily climb the walls of homes, causing problems like loosened mortar, damaged siding, and clogging gutters. Weakened mortar and siding can lead to moisture and structural problems in your home.
Removing English ivy
The best way to remove and manage English ivy is to hand-pull and uproot them. Do not place them in a compost pile, as they could take root again. Instead, put them in green waste recycling. Take a hard rake to thin it out in areas where the ivy is thick before hand-pulling.
You can also utilize a herbicide designed to kill ivy. If you do, read the instructions carefully and follow them to the T. Be sure the product is safe for your trees, yard, children, and pets.
If English ivy is climbing up your trees, this is a problem. English ivy can block light, weigh down branches, and even girdle the tree. Remove the plant by cutting off the roots and letting it die before gently removing the vines.
Contact An ISA-Certified Arborist From Hansen’s Tree Service
If your tree is experiencing damage from English ivy, contact the ISA-Certified Arborists at Hansen’s Tree Service for help. Hansen’s Tree Service offers tree consulting at your home by our professional ISA-certified arborists. They will help you remove ivy from your trees to restore their vigor and provide a health care plan to ensure the tree’s continued health.