[Herbalist] invasive climbing ivy

[Tara Boroson]

Amazingly enough, people plant the stuff on purpose.  We have a good bit
of it planted ornamentally by a previous owner.  It's choking out a
couple of trees, including two massive basswoods that we need to rescue.
 Very pretty stuff, but a serious pain in the butt.  It's that beautiful
ivy that you see climbing the sides of buildings... holding water
against the walls and causing seepage and cracks.

We managed to get rid of one patch of it without resorting to
herbacides.  We mowed it down (it took several passes in different
directions,) then my husband tried to till to rip up the roots.  Well,
that was no use.  The tiller couldn't handle them.  He actually cut
through the soil with a reciprocating saw to chop the roots into
manageable pieces, then tilled to churn them up.  We raked them out,
then tilled and raked again.  Then we reseeded with grass, so we can mow
right over any little bits that try to come back.  So far, the only
feeble attempt it's made has been at the base of a little azalea bush
where we had to be more careful about chopping and tilling.

I've made a personal pledge never to plant anything more invasive than
strawberries in any non-contained place.  My horseradish is in a small,
fully contained garden.  Mints are in large pots.  One of these days,
we'll chop out the rest of the hedera and pray that we can kill it.

-Magdalena

Wes Will wrote:

>At 05:32 PM 7/24/02 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>Hi, folks:  I have just managed to kill an incredibly fast growing, woody,
>>strong, well rooted ivy
>>
>...
>
>>If anyone can identify it, please let me know.  Or is there a source online
>>with PICTURES?
>>Thanks!
>>Bob
>>
>
>Odds-on that it's an import, to wit Hedera Helix, or "English Ivy".  Check
>these pics,  this first one in particular:
>
>http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0580097
>http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0580099
>http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0580096
>http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0580095
>
>The leaves vary a bit, from a pronounced 5-pointed star to a somewhat
>rounded heart shape.  I just call it "Tree-Killer" or "House-Eater", and
>rip it up as it reappears.
>
>Do us all a favour, please:  KILL THIS STUFF !!  I hate it.  Despise it.
>loathe it, even.  Don't let it get out!
>
>I've managed to extend the life of an extremely old maple by another decade
>or so by removing _several hundred feet_ of ivy careful from it's bark.
>The tree is still going to die, from disease and rot introduced by this
>nasty stuff, but I don't have to come up with an immediate solution for a
>dead 130 cm. diameter tree, 80 feet or more tall, haongin over my back deck
>and roof.  I can whittle the dying parts out a bit at a time and spread the
>demise out over at least another few years....
>
>--
>Eoin Caimbeul
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