Invasive English Ivy Smothering Trees and Depleting Soil
From the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver:
“English ivy (Hedera helix) is an evergreen vine that is recognized as a serious, smothering invasive in much of southwestern BC.
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It quickly forms a dense monoculture groundcover that suppresses and excludes other vegetation, and is unsuitable for most wildlife habitat.
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Thick evergreen ivy mats overwhelm plants on the forest floor, prevent natural seedling succession, debilitate trees, and can damage infrastructure.
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As a vine, it can completely engulf shrubs and encircles tree trunks of all sizes, leaving nothing uncovered. Shrubs shrouded in ivy may eventually die because light can’t reach their leaves.
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English ivy grows rapidly and needs very little light or water once it’s established, and even grows during the winter.”
From the Associated Press:
“The {English Ivy] vine snakes its way up the tree and under its bark, firmly attaching its roots and tendrils as it grows…
Simply yanking the ivy would also remove the bark, which serves as the tree’s vital protection from insects, diseases and the elements.
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The ivy’s densely packed leaves can block sunlight from reaching the tree, inhibiting photosynthesis, which diminishes the nutrients it can produce.
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The weight of the vine weakens branches and, during severe weather, can topple the tree, placing people and property at risk ” (Emphasis Added)
From the District of West Vancouver
Invasive plants are considered the second most significant threat to global biodiversity after habitat loss
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Closer to home, within urban areas like [West Vancouver in] Metro Vancouver, invasive plants [e.g. English Ivy] can pose human health risks and cause significant damage to parks and infrastructure. …
Wind and water action, improper disposal including dumping, soil transfer and landscape maintenance activities all contribute to their spread
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District support for stewardship groups’ invasive plant initiatives would further support the control of invasive plants [like English Ivy by the District]
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These groups often have specialized expertise or local knowledge that can assist invasive plant management, in addition to assisting with identification and removal.
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Stewardship groups rely on some District resources to support their efforts (e.g. having a staff person present during invasive plant removal events to provide supervision and advice.)
The Nature Conservancy, “Invasive Species, What You Can Do”
What to do?
Below are popular online videos. If in doubt, and you are not an expert like me, consult an arborist.
“Remove English Ivy from trees, 3 easy steps for arborists“
Note: the method to remove English Ivy off of trees is about five minutes from 1:20-6:00
6:00 and onwards discusses what not to use to remove English Ivy on the ground, and then describes the proper way to remove it from the ground.
