[Herbalist] invasive climbing ivy

[robert leonard]

on 7/24/02 7:25 AM, Tara Boroson at tboroson at netcarrier.com wrote:

> 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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>>
>
>
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Hi, folks:  The name of the invasive ivy is Virginia Creeper.  I had
misidentified it through a wrong listing on a website that got pictures
mixed up.