The Evil of Ivy

Any plant trying to grow where it doesn't belong is a sad story. When I volunteered at Discovery Park doing youth restoration programs I watched the kids go crazy ripping English Ivy out of the ground. I was first introduced to the invasiveness of this plant while volunteering on a farm, where I was asked to pull out ivy around some trees. Although it was just maintenance work because you never really get rid of that stuff. I was annoyed to be handed the least desirable farm work, but I guess you just have to "do your time". I was told to cut the thick, fibrous vines around the base of the tree, and that everything growing above would eventually die. The tree is given some breathing room. Death cannot be avoided only staved off.

Why is this ivy so intense? In WA it's a Class C on the noxious weed list (with a bunch of other plants less complained about, many with medicinal properties). But no one likes to be dominated. Ivy is said to move in, take over all the space, pushing out biodiversity, creating ivy "deserts". This incredible plant can even choke out trees, taking then down. But what is to be afraid of? Could ivy take down an entire woodland? Probably not. Ivy is more the gardener's bane, or the naturalist's achilles heel. People aren't happy observing domination, regardless of how much threat is actually present.

The ivy in our North Beach yard is intimidating, though. It's starting to creep up the neck of the plum trees.

It's doing what it needs to do, laying it's groundwork for an offensive.

It's staging area across the slope is building rank. I think I will need to host a work party, and prepare for battle.