English Ivy

A major concern is the impact to trees:

• Ivy climbs using aerial roots, although not considered a parasitic plant it can cause many problems, even death to trees.
• Ivy holds moisture against the trunk causing splitting and rotting of the outer bark.
• Ivy can form a thick blanket of leaves that shade the tree reducing its’ ability to produce food through photosynthesis.
• Ivy can add enough additional weight to a tree canopy to cause catastrophic failure - the main trunk of the tree can break or the entire tree can fall.

Other environmental factors:

• Ivy has the ability to out-compete native vegetation, eliminating the biodiversity that our native birds and mammals need to proliferate.
• Biodiversity has a significant impact to our water quality. Stream buffers require various plants to maintain the integrity at the edge of the stream. Diverse species have a variety of root systems that filter rain and runoff and prevent stream bank erosion.

What you need to know:

• Ivy is a useful and attractive groundcover when managed appropriately.
• Property owners are responsible for the health and maintenance of all their trees.
• Trees fall due to many stressors including high winds, disease, drought, and uneven weight.
• Critters such as snakes and rats often live in the comfortable shade of a blanket of Ivy.

What you can do:

• To protect a tree that is becoming enveloped in Ivy, cut the Ivy at the base of the tree and removing a collar of about 36” width around the base of the trunk. 
• Do not try to remove the ivy from the tree trunk which can damage the bark - when left in place it will die back and shed naturally from the tree.
• Maintain the open collar regularly to prevent its’ return.
• Using a glyphosphate-based herbicide will aid in controlling grow-back.
• Carefully dispose of the debris to prevent resprouting.
• Do not toss ivy onto the ground in the woods, on your compost pile, or in your garden as it may continue to grow and spread!
• Wear protective gear, as poison ivy often co-mingles with English Ivy.