English Ivy Beautiful Fast Growing Ground Cover 20 Starts $10 - All my starts have roots **FREE SHIPPING** $PayPal$

Please, you might want to warn your customers that they and their neighbors, could be BURIED in ivy within a few years of planting one clump.

In a few more years, nearby and distant woodlands, other wild spaces and yards, may have lost many native and ornamental plants to the unstoppable spread of English ivy.

Up and down the Pacific Coast, and in some states in the southeast, English Ivy is very invasive. It has taken over my back yard and I'm fighting to keep it from choking out mature pine trees. I had to clear out access to my back faucet recently, along a little sidewalk, and I yanked and threw away a half-cubic-yard of ivy without even making much of a dent in the area over-run by it.

Where I work, English Ivy just rolled right over every other plant, stomping them flat and choking them out. It spreads like kudzu does in the South.

Maybe English Ivy is "no problem" in the other 40 states, I don't know.

But if I were selling kudzu, even very inexpensively, I would say this in large print: "INVASIVE in many regions".

I hope I'm not TOO pushy in bringing this up. I know that some things are horribly invasive thugs in one region, but well-behaved or even hard to grow in other regions.

This site seems to say that 10 states have listed English Ivy as invasive:
http://www.invasiveplantatlas....
" English ivy can invade woodlands, fields and other upland areas and is spread by runners. Seeds can also be spread by birds. It can grow both along the ground, where it can displace native understory species, and in the tree canopy, often covering branches and slowly killing trees."


http://www.nps.gov/plants/alie...
This site says that:
"English ivy has been reported to be invasive in natural areas in 18 states and the District of Columbia. "

and

"On the ground, English ivy forms dense and extensive monocultures that exclude native plants. English ivy also serves as a reservoir for Bacterial Leaf Scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), a plant pathogen that is harmful to elms, oaks, maples and other native plants. "

and even:

"NOTE: The leaves and berries of English ivy contain the glycoside hederin which could cause toxicosis if ingested. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, hyperactivity, breathing difficulty, coma, fever, polydipsia, dilated pupils, muscular weakness, and lack of coordination. This feature also helps ensure effective seed dispersal by birds."

I admit, I never saw any people or pets stumbling around in a feverish, hyperactive coma after a close encounter with ivy. People here are too busy cursing it to eat much of it!

I can tell from our plant database (47 named cultivars) that gardeners SOMEWHERE must like it and plant it deliberately.

Further noted on the invasive English Ivy in the forest behind my house. The English Ivy that creeps up and smothers trees is a mutant!! The shape changes as it climbs, losing it's pretty angular shape and deep green color. It fades, then rounds itself out and the pretty points are almost non existent. Seems this ivy, when determined to creep up a tree, changes it's looks. Tomorrow I will try to take a picture. I pull it out of the forest trees every chance I get.

From the trees:

From my fence:



Obviously, I DO LOVE my English Ivy beds. But they are fast growers that can get out of control quickly if not watched. They make beautiful pot accompaniments as a trailing plant.

The neighbor who originally planted the ivy is now gone. New neighbors have not kept up with it and it covers large portions of the forest on their side . It won't be long that I will be battling it on my side compliments of their side, too.

I was feeling bad about criticizing an offering from a new member (Joined on May 30, 2015), but I had just finished yanking as much !@#$%^&*() ivy as I could in one sitting, and not made a noticeable dent. Didn't even get it all off the sidewalk, let alone out from under the trees and bushes.

I see she has not posted anything else on ATP, or even checked back and responded to this thread.

It is a valid concern in regions where the plant is on an invasive list. I have been saddened at the damage to our parks and forests in the PNW.

Can't believe this is being sold anywhere, ESPECIALLY ON HERE. Honestly angers me. Glad I'm not the only who shares this view and has dealt with the great painful uprootING and killing of this INVASIVE plant. Sad someone's trying to capatalize of this plant

To be fair, the original poster (Ann) does not list where she is from, so English ivy may not be a problem in her area. I think most of us who do live in regions where it has become invasive are likely pretty aware of how damaging it can be. And, it does have its strong points - my older son has a steep slope on two sides of his yard that is covered in English ivy (came with the house when he bought it). It does want to creep into his lawn, but mowing keeps it in check, and at the foot of his slopes are city roads so that stops it at that end. Makes a nice lush evergreen approach to his house, with little maintenance or care needed (he is not a gardener). My younger son also bought a house that was riddled with English ivy, but his were growing up all his mature trees and shrubs, and he diligently cut it all out and burned it. I was surprised at how woody the stems were, those were hefty old vines.

And, as Rick points out, Ann has neither responded to this thread nor posted anything else, so she doesn't appear to be active.

It is an invasive weed in Oregon and it is illegal to sell it there. I wonder if this post can be removed?

I don't think because a plant is invasive in one place it should be considered invasive everywhere. I have had english Ivy over 14 years at this house many years at the house before and it was never invasive. Sure, it did spread some, but I never had any problem controlling it.

I agree with Seedfork. I live in Washington and English ivy is a real thug here, threatening our parks and forests. That does not mean it can't behave itself in other areas. Nor do I think we want to censor posts (smacks a bit of Big Brother to me...aging hippy...) Patty, no offense intended, you have a valid concern. Perhaps just noting where a plant is problematic would be a better option. I've added a comment to the generic entry in the database, and noted there are several named cultivars - perhaps those are less invasive than the general species variety (?). Invasive plants can be a bit of a hot button, to some they should be scourged from the earth, to others they are what I term 'jolly' plants (happy to party with anyone).

Ha ha, you're right Deb. I shudder to think of the ivy I've had to fight with over the years. Worse even than blackberry!

Oh, blackberries...much as I love the fruit, yowsie! I'm sure every region has its own devils.

Ivy, blackberry and mint will drive anyone crazy here. At least with mint you smell good while your removing (some) of it.

It is on the invasive list here and many, many nurseries around here still sell it
I'm battling a bunch of it now at the house we will be moving into

When I see "very easy to grow" or "foolproof", I check the invasives list.

I am now in eastern WA and it would be a blessing it it could thrive here it is so toxic of a climate. Generally when a plant is put on the noxious weed list it is too late - it has already invaded.

But I really wanted to address the "mutant" issue, Ivy is in a juvenile form when it is creeping on the ground, when it finds something to climb it becomes mature and then can bloom and set seeds, furthering its evil plans to take over the planet....That won't happen here, the dust and rocks will win as always......

I live here in Florida, enjoyed seeing the English ivy, wanted it and never knew that it is invasive here. I'm fighting thousands of tuberous thorny vines throughout my woods. They climb my trees, strangle them, break them and I assume they are native species (more than one species). I've dug out clusters of tubers that weighed 40-50 pounds. I wish they were good for something - maybe eating - because I sure have enough of them.

Given my problems with the thorny vines, I suspect I shouldn't add to my problems with vines. However, I wouldn't have known this except that it showed up here and I read it. It served a great purpose and I'm glad the conversation ensued. Please don't ban, just add the other side of the coin.

Oh, I meant to say that when digging out the thorny vines, I found I have a few truffles! The first one - about 1 1/2 pounds got thrown on the fire with the thorny vine tubers. Broke my heart when I found and looked up the second one, and learned that it was a truffle. The second one is thriving nicely in its 'nest' among the roots of one of the trees in my front yard.

@Dragonkeep
Sounds like Greenbriar, I battle it here also. I dug wheelbarrow loads of tubers out of my Mom's flower beds.