Expert Warns Against Planting "Dangerous" English Ivy

[OneEyedDiva]

"English ivy is quietly wrecking ecosystems — and we're still handing it a shovel. Despite its reputation as a "no-maintenance" yard solution, this invasive vine is invading woodlands, damaging trees, and erasiEng native plant life. One arborist said it's time to stop planting it altogether."
Expert issues warning over dangerous plant sold at nearly every major garden store: 'We need to stop buying'

 

[dilettante]

I had some in a small indoor pot many decades ago. It never really did very well.

There isn't any here and I don't plan on planting any. The unrelated "ground ivy" (Creeping Charlie) is a bigger problem here and keeps invading from neighboring yards.

I do have some "Snow on the Mountain" another plant considered quite invasive. However, though it is spreading it stays confined to the bed it's in and has not been a problem.

I also have some "Lily of the Valley" which is also aggressive but when it escapes the bed I just catch it as I mow the grass. It doesn't tolerate full sun, so it doesn't really get too far from where it should be.

I wouldn't dump any of those into wild areas though.

 

[Imogene]

My area deals with that miserable Kudzu. It covers everything in sight if left alone. Everything includes abandoned homes, telephone poles. Live trees—-

The photo on this link is no joke - it’s what sections of the state highway look like by the end of summer

Kudzu: The Invasive Vine that Ate the South

 

[hawkdon]

I had a bed of English Ivy here at this little house and I got very
rashy from it when I removed the mess by hand as requested
by my love....that stuff is "rash" INDUCING just like poison ivy
for some of us folks....took a year and several prescriptiions only
available from Canada to get rid of it, that was a miserable year!!!

 

[John Thomas]

My late wife planted some at the bottom of our garden, about ten years ago, just a tiny little plant she got from the supermarket, they sell a few plants, now it's almost took over the back fence, and most of the side wall, and grown upwards too, how it does that I don't know, because there is nothing for it to cling onto going up, unbelievable

 

[hearlady]

We have a small patch that is easily controllable but you can't get rid of it. Luckily it can't spread far.

 

[hawkdon]

That stuff just spreads where ever it wants, up tree's especially around here, and you can rip it out of the ground and it
will re-grow somehwere else...hate that stuff......

 

[Jackie23]

Yes, I've pulled a lot of Ivy off tree trunks another invasive plant I've made the mistake of planting is Wisteria. Finally got rid of Ivy but the Wisteria is still hanging on.