Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Have you noticed how Ivy is taking over most of the trees, fences, roadsides and anywhere else it can get a foot hold. We are told by the people who know that its not harming the trees at all, but it looks so awful crawling all over our countryside. What do you think?

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Hi Ezy I think it depends where it is growing, I have some on my pollarded cherry tree and it drops the leaves onto the rockery so I cruelty severed the stems at the root last October and it is still growing
Members say it is the aerial roots.

It covers a multitude of sins as they say when growing in some places..

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Who's Ivy and what's she done?

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Ivy provides good nesting sites for birds.

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

I have a continual war with Ivy, it does have its benefits, greenery in winter and birds nesting. It must be kept under control. During the wet weather it was easy to pull from the ground where it was choking things. This has given the Spring flowers space to grow and I have plenty of primroses and bluebells on the way.

I do not believe that you can rid the garden of it completely you can try to show it who is boss, if I ever find a use for it, I'll be a millionaire.

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Our big oak has ivy all over it this year, been quite nice having some greenery all winter and the birds and squirrels have loved it. We have been assured it is not harming the tree as it is getting it's water from the ground not sure severing the roots would be such a good idea.

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Is that what I see on a lot of houses? Good grief, you wouldn't get me living in one of them: think of the insects it's harbouring!!!

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

Lots of trees around here both in the local woods and in private gardens have this type of Ivy climbing on them and in some cases its even difficult to tell what tree it is. The stems of the worst cases can be as thick as a mans wrist. A few people have cut through these stems and the leaves have started to shrivel up. If you have it climbing on your fence be very wary it can become very heavy and almost immovable.

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

I have a friend whose house front had been taken over by ivy - and I mean totally - from the bottom to the top, including over the windows! Might have looked ok in certain light but in the dark it put the Adam's Family House to shame. Had to pay - recently - to have it all removed.

Re: Are You Getting Fed up with Ivy Too?

And I think it can do a lot of damage to the house structure as well if left unchecked.