Anonymous wrote:It’s easy to hate Ivy. But it’s very strong and you have to take care of your back when yanking it out. It has a good grip on your house even when dead.
Also “creeping Jenny” is very pretty and sold at garden stores. Very invasive and lives through anything. Even when you pull it up and toss on the mulch pile it will grow.

Our neighbor planted creeping Jenny and now it's invaded my yard. I have been known to use it in containers, but I have to make sure to trim it back every month or so to prevent it from reaching the ground.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like English ivy. It has an ancient, lovely history. Also anything that’s been in this country for about three hundred years is native enough for me.

Even when people tell you it’s harboring those godawful mosquitos and vermin and killing off native trees? Yours is a very disappointing answer.

NP. This is all news to me!!

Anonymous wrote:I like English ivy. It has an ancient, lovely history. Also anything that’s been in this country for about three hundred years is native enough for me.

Even when people tell you it’s harboring those godawful mosquitos and vermin and killing off native trees? Yours is a very disappointing answer.

It’s easy to hate Ivy. But it’s very strong and you have to take care of your back when yanking it out. It has a good grip on your house even when dead.
Also “creeping Jenny” is very pretty and sold at garden stores. Very invasive and lives through anything. Even when you pull it up and toss on the mulch pile it will grow.

OP, they're not necessarily jerks, they just don't know any better or consider it a priority. I'm sure your neighbors could all find something about you that they interpret as jerky behavior.

I think I always knew that English ivy was an import (hence the name) but was unaware it was considered "invasive" until I moved to this area. I grew up in New England, tons of people used it as an ornamental but I just don't remember it being so aggressive there. Maybe it's due to the longer growing season down here. All three neighbors around us have some sort of English ivy in their yard, but only one house looks like an intentional planting of it. The other two have remnants in places under hard to reach bushes, etc. Which is where it usually shows up for us too. I'm the wacko on my stomach climbing under the azaleas trying to yank it out, but I it would never occur to me to begrudge my 80yo neighbor for not doing the same, and the other family are not yard people and I doubt they notice or care.

I like English ivy. It has an ancient, lovely history. Also anything that’s been in this country for about three hundred years is native enough for me.

Re: rats, ivy has pretty firm stems and leaves, with big spaces between the stems. It's basically like having pre-built tunnels. And it doesn't die off quick in the heat or cold.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't really care if people inherited it or not. Take care of it and get rid of it. It came with your choice to buy the property. People who ignore it are just as bad. If I buy a home where I 'inhereted' dead or sick trees on the property, did nothing about it, and then ended up falling on someone's house or kling someone, am I blameless just because I inherited the problem when I bought the property? Heck no. Same with invasive species that kill our native trees, damage structures, and harbor pests. You knew before buying that you had ivy. Take care of it.

You seem very angry about….plants. I suggest you start meditating and/or figuring out how you can release this anger over something you can’t control.

Except those 'plants' can cause thousands of dollars in damage and kill native species.

Your neighbor's ivy can overrun their yard, get into yours and kill your trees. Guess who has to pay to remove a tree killed by ivy? You do. Ivy from your neighbor's yard can easily grow on your fence and destroy it, which costs thousands to replace. And heaven forbid it spreads into your yard and starts growing on your house. Ivy growth on homes can penetrate siding with their tendrils that can cause major damage. Even if you remove it, it can leave behind all sorts of stains that may require a completely new paint job ....which costs tons of money. Ivy is horrible.

+1000. I had to restain my fence after the neighbor’s ivy overan their wall. I have to pay my gardeners extra to keep it trimmed back. It also encourages vermin like rats and insects. My neighbor had snakes coming onto her basketball court after the neighbor’s ivy attracted rats.

Re: rats- does that apply to ground covers in general or is there something specific about English ivy that attracts them?

Anonymous wrote:I agree. It doesn't smell good when I try to pull it up. We rent a house with ivy and a zillion other vines and whenever I'm stressed I go outside and rip up everything as therapy. I also pull it off trees when we go walking in the park because if we just let it go, in 10 years those trees will all be dead.

You cannot pull it from the tree. This will damage the bark and expose the tree to disease and pests. Cut the ivy at the base of the tree and again at about 3 feet up from the base so you are creating a gap. The ivy will die and fall away.

Anonymous wrote:And why does American Plant still sell it?

Why does Pro Bass sell high capacity magazines and AR15s when a Las Vegas shooter shot 500 people? Just because they sell it doesn't mean it is right. It is an invasive non native scourge that kills tons of trees and provides a breeding ground for all sorts of pests.

And why does American Plant still sell it?

Yep 17:56 got it right. Good bye Ivy.

Spray a little bit of round up on the open wound where you trimmed it. Less round up more effective. I don’t like round up but use it very sparingly.

Also if it’s climbing a tree. Trim all around the stems at base of tree. More roundup. Pull it off when dead. Can be difficult but it will come loose when dead. Can you tell I hate Ivy?

Haha! I hate it too! I have a method (after three homes with Ivy). Mow carefully over it with the lawn mower. Yes that will ruin the blade. Cost of the project. Wait until a heavy rain. Pull and snip what you can without wrecking your back. Spray round up on the cut stems. (Cuts down on the amount of round up). Pull up the dead vibes after the next rain. Voila. Ivy gone and soul usually pretty fertile underneath.