We need to stop buying this plant!

In my opinion, English Ivy (Hedera helix) needs to be banned for sale! It has taken over much of our woodlands by creeping along the ground, shading out native plants, and climbing up big native trees. It's one of the worst woodland invasives, but yet it doesn't seem to get catch enough flack and remains an extremely popular plant at big box stores.
If you're looking for groundcovers, consider native options first. To find native groundcover options native to your area, you can:
1. Consult your state's or province's local Native Plant Society, nature center, government website, or Department of Conservation and Natural Resources page. These resources usually provide many native alternatives.
2. Consult a local native plant expert or gardener.
Any other ideas? Share them in the comments!
#englishivy #invasivespecies #gardening #garden

[@thegreatchickenoverlord5976]

Ok but what should be sold/gotten instead? Not being critical, but people want these things as a sort of groundcover plant. Can you make a recommendation of a native alternative that provides the same or similiar effect? I appreciate ecology concerns greatly (its why I have begun an all out purge of chinese privet and multiflora rose), but for things still sold in stores, people either dont know, or dont care if you just tell them to not buy a plant, however if you inform them, and mention a native alternative that serves the same purpose, they go for that instead (assuming its not prohibitivly expensive)

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

Sure! Here are a few native options. I mentioned two briefly at the end, but here's a longer list. Make sure to use BONAP or a similar website / tool to determine if these plants are native to your area: 1. moss phlox - Phlox subulata - evergreen groundcover that creeps and expands 2. woodland phlox - Phlox divaricata - same as above. Beautiful and fragrant spring flowers! 3. golden ragwort - Packera aurea - also evergreen, bright yellow flowers in the spring. Deer-resistant, spreads quickly and is adaptable to shade or sun. 4. Allegheny pachysandra - Pachysandra procumbens - native pachysandra to the southeast US 5. wild ginger - Asarum canadense - pretty heart-shaped leaves. Tolerant of dense shade. 6. Green-and-gold - Chrysogonum virginianum 7. any of our native ferns! - some of them are also evergreen! The problem is, unfortunately, that English ivy is much more accessible than many of these plants. Most big-box garden centers don't carry these plants - you'd probably have to go to a native plant nursery to find some of these. That's part of the problem, too! Folks seeing this; feel free to add native groundcovers in this chain! The ones I included are mostly native to the eastern US - any suggestions for the Pacific Northwest would be appreciated!

[@PatrickStar12341]

Yup, this stuff always looks pretty good in controlled landscaping beds…

[@terminus_the_infernal8958]

@@Andrew_the_Arborist i have some canada ginger growing on my property, it's absolutely wonderful! it grows really quicly once it gets established and the flowers are really neat looking! native sedum (stonecrop) species are also very nice groundcovers for wet areas and are good for bees

[@sammygirl6910]

Google it. It's specific to where you live. Don't be lazy and rely on others to teach you. You have everything at your fingertips.

[@RTCPhotoWork]

You need something native to your area, not just native to the country in general.

[@frederickheard2022]

Virginia’s legislature passed a bill banning the sale of English ivy in the commonwealth. Our governor vetoed the bill and said the market will sort it out.

[@atavanH]

🤦‍♂️the market hasn’t sorted it out, hence the bill!

[@dismurrart6648]

That's so stupid. Dude must have some at his house or something

[@frederickheard2022]

I’m pretty sure he would have signed a bill banning oriental bittersweet, if you catch my drift.

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

Market will solve everything. I wonder when it will fix global warming... Meanwhile in the real world Nestle steals water from local springs and sell it to locals. This is how market works in practice

[@justinciallella4724]

Compost youngkin.

[@bruhboi1539]

I simple way to deter people from buying it would be to place a label saying "invasive/non-native" on the shelf or near the price tag.

[@dustinolney3977]

You would have to pass that by law because no retailer is going to do that

[@Youtubeuser-sh3xs]

You’re over estimating how much people care.

[@ashrowan2143]

Honestly I wish we had labels like this on plants. Give me labels telling me where plants are native to sure most of my plants are house plants but not everyone is like that and I help my mum shop for her flower garden. I'd love to know which plants are actually native to our area not just in the same hardiness zone as our area

[@MuchToDoAboutNowt]

​@@ashrowan2143The answer to this is to shop at independent garden centers run and staffed by knowledgeable, ethical people. Everywhere I have lived there have been options like this, even in less populated places. Don't shop big box stores no matter what.

[@DesertRose808]

Most people don't care

[@DanielleBaum]

I grew up in the south where we had kudzu, an even more deadly invasive species that were deeply regretted

[@agnidas5816]

kudzu is an amazing medicine ...

[@DanielleBaum]

@@agnidas5816 it has some medicinal properties but nothing that makes up for it being one of the fastest growing and most invasive species in the south. it's difficult to kill and literally strangles other vegetarian including trees

[@dominiqueritchey6795]

About a foot per day. Everyone should be so healthy, right? ​@@agnidas5816

[@DurzoBlunts]

​@@agnidas5816 not enough to out weigh it's invasive aspects. Air potatoes are also bad bad bad

[@thedustofthefuture1693]

Kudzu hasn’t been nearly as bad as people thought it was going to be- it mostly stays on the outside edge of the forest

[@Hundredfold_Canada]

Thank you for speaking up for the silent native plants that do not have a voice. They do suffer from the invasion of English ivy. It is almost everywhere here in Southern Ontario.

[@ElizabethWarrenYeahYeah]

I'm in UK and I got a gift of a 3plant pot with 3 plants with entirely different requirements for water and feeding. One of those was an ivy. I took it outside, plopped it in the ground and forgot about it. Now 6 years later it's clung on to my fence and rotted it through by holding the moisture. So I've just had the whole fence replaced. I had a dead 6foot tree trunk that I'm going to train it over and keep it away from the fence. I'll keep it trimmed back to the tree and when that falls it will all be thrown out. I have birds nesting in it year on year but will replace the ivy with suitable nesting boxes.

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

Thanks for sharing your experience with it! Definitely within it's native range where you are, it certainly provides a lot more benefits to the wildlife that have evolved to use it. Here in the US, unfortunately, not so much!

[@Albinojackrussel]

​@@Andrew_the_Arboristyou can actually see it growing a lot like the images you showed here in the UK, but it's primarily in disturbed or young woodland. You don't see it nearly so much in established woodland.

[@moringsdaughter]

It would help if garden centers and nurseries sold more native plants. In my area there are only a couple short term sales from small nurseries each year. The stock is very limited so you frequently can't get what you want or need. I plant all the natives I can find, but there's just not that many available.

[@merk9569]

I agree, plus getting reliable information is not as easy as commenters seem to think. While there is lots of information about native plants and what grows in a given area online, finding those plants for sale and learning how to maintain them has been an exhausting process. I have yet to purchase the first plant! I need plants that grow under huge trees in the South, what was a climax forest when houses were built here 50 years ago. My yard has English ivy and other shade loving ground covers and large mature shade loving shrubs but nothing else. The only natives are a few scraggly grasses and mosses, and very little of either. The ground is thick with fallen leaf litter and it’s moist underneath. I am trying to find what I can do to increase the biodiversity of plants so that animals of all kinds have a chance. My large piles of fallen branches and sticks have produced a little life! A family of wrens has claimed one pile, a large black snake slithered by me to hide under a shrub and a red tail hawk flew 15’ past me with a mouse in his talons this past week. I was overjoyed! I am now looking for wildflower and native seeds to sow because I haven’t found potted plants for sale.

[@katrinaelliott4583]

English ivy is illegal to sell in Oregon. I used to work as a cashier at Home Depot. Had a lady come in the store asking for English ivy when I informed her that we don't sell it in Oregon because of it being a legal along with you butterfly bush. She said "that's okay. I'll just go to Washington and get it". I had to resist the urge to chew her out.

[@zwink37]

What an absolute moron! Did she not stop to think for a second why it may be illegal?

[@cloudmastr8105]

This is why laws need to prohibit cultivating the plant, not just selling it.

[@supertrucker99]

It's illegal to have a cow in Oregon so what's your point.😊

[@kateherr2893]

​@@supertrucker99 there's dairy farms in Or so clearly you're bending the truth a little to make your point.

[@tigger6186]

I'm still working on ripping that stuff out after living here for 18 years. I'll be so glad when it's all gone from my property for good. That super invasive japanese honeysuckle is getting ripped out as well.

[@ElegantHope]

there's an invasive japanese honey suckle growing on a rose bush on my family's property. the first t ime we tried to remove it was an unpleasant experience, and I'm not looking to this year's attempts either. Worst part is I can see it growing on neighboring properties and I can't do anything about it.

[@DurzoBlunts]

See if a forestry mulcher will be able to get the roots of the ivy. Had one do my property for an invasive air potatoes and they're gone gone gone

[@ClickyBuzzClick2ConnectBuzz]

I buy and use MOST ALL the "invasive" God gifts!! English IVY MAKES FREE SOAP!! LOOK IT UP!! Just Boil it and use it!! Do you know how much laundry soap cost now days???!!!! OMG people - WAKE UP!! I even buy the most dreaded "invasive" Japanese Knotweed!!! It's the most healthiest plant alive - even used to cure Lyme's disease! And "invasive" dandelions cures liver and SARS!! on and on and on....God's FREE GIFTS!!

[@Gaxbiez]

I have some Japanese honeysuckle in my garden for the past 5 years. It’s so slow growing in my opinion, I don’t really see the issue. It’s stayed in the same spot and the winter kills some of it back each year. I enjoy it, it smells good and bee’s like it

[@amyzcosgrove4603]

What’s the best way to get rid of it?

[@debbiey9452]

I’m replacing parts of my yard with native Frogfruit and any wildflowers that want to present themselves. My hubby wasn’t allowed to mow our back yard this Spring and OMG the native wildflowers are beautiful. The bees and butterflies in my area are loving it. So much activity ❤

[@gerardvanwilgen9917]

Actually, it seems that Irish ivy (Hedera hibernica) is more invasive than English ivy (H. helix) in the USA, especially in states with mild winters.

[@kurtroedeger1012]

I love phlox as a ground cover. As for invasive species, im working on a model ordinance for PA to share with municipalities to help dtop the spread of invasive species. I can share info if you want.

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

That would be great! I'm on my township's environmental advisory board, so I'd love to see any model ordinance you come up with! Thanks for your work.

[@kurtroedeger1012]

@@Andrew_the_Arborist sent you my contact info on the form on your website. My real name isn't Kurt 🤫 I just use that online

[@marianfrances3057]

I live in Australia and we have the same problem I’m constantly pulling that ivy out of my front and back yard.

[@ingevankeirsbilck9601]

I'm in Belgium, same thing. I don't understand why anyone would buy that stuff, I'm trying to get rid of it!

[@colinsimons]

I’m on a job as we speak, pulling it off buildings. shops should be banned for selling it. causes nothing but problems for homes& the environment

[@fritscheric]

I've been battling ivy in my front and back yard ever since we bought our house. I hate it. Do you know of any native plants that can outcompete it?

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

I personally don't think I know any that can outcompete it. I know Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) can be a pretty aggressive native groundcover, and I've heard that can outcompete several tough invasives like ground-ivy and lesser celandine, but I'm not sure about ivy! Good luck with your battle, and thanks for removing it!

[@catherinebond7474]

We are in the same boat. Pull, cut, mulch,repeat. I'm getting too old for this $h1+.

[@pattiannepascual]

the only real way is to carefully pull on it, without breaking the vine.loosen the soil all around and keep carefully pulling it up. It took me a year at a customer's house. now I see a small ivy leaf growing up through a rose bush, which was looking sickly. Now I know why. I will be carefully digging up the rose and continue digging up the ivy roots.

[@amy010276]

Flamethrower 🔥

[@DaveE99]

@@pattiannepascual so basically constantly subjecting it to transplant shock by distrubung roots like health by 1 thousand cuts

[@Pamelasuerulz]

I have been trying to get rid of the Ivey in the house I bought for two years now. It is so hard to get rid of it chokes out everything in its path. Any tips?

[@kmorley111]

Andrew, i live in Northwest Philadelphia and your videos are really helpful to me as i work to turn my yard into a haven for native plants. Just wanted to say thank you!

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

Thanks so much! I'm glad my videos are helpful :)

[@TheNinGenTai]

Unfortunately, here in Brazil we also have the same problem with other species of plants that were brought, people bought a lot just because they are different and now they are invasive and actually a thread to the native species that we have here. I cant believe it actually became a problem here because we have soooo many beautiful plants available. People need to recognize the beauty of native nature

[@theghostofteddyperkins3687]

Great video as usual! I wanted to thank you for putting out this content to inform the public. You were one of the inspirations that gave me the courage to resign from my corporate management job and pursue my dream of a career in horticulture. I hope one day to open a native perennial and tree greenhouse/nursery for plants native to Southwestern Pennsylvania and give people a better option than the big box stores offer. I start school full time to get certified in Horticulture Technology at Bidwell Training Center in Pittsburgh. Super excited, but also nervous at the same time as I'll be unemployed for the 7 months school lasts. Wish me luck!

[@wmpx34]

That's pretty cool. Good luck

[@lunar.mermaid]

Good luck! That's a wonderful dream to pursue❤

[@theghostofteddyperkins3687]

@wmpx34 thank you!!

[@theghostofteddyperkins3687]

@@lunar.mermaid Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@CharlesSmith-pu3wp]

Also shown in the video, oriental bittersweet, as nad or worse than Ivy. Spreads by seed and grows faster.

[@patricioiasielski8816]

Even in a warmer temperate to subtropical place like here in Buenos Aires this sh*t is everywhere.

[@elw6150]

You are to be commended for creating this short! I rented a house once, the backyard was ENTIRELY covered with and the large fir trees were just invaded all the way to the top! I convinced the landlord to let us remove it. It took months and massive backbreaking work.

[@threeriversforge1997]

Yep. I've seen so many invasive plants in the local stores, and have had so many regular people tell me they'll do whatever they want because it's their land and they own it. Even when I point to the problems, they fight hard against the idea because they'd rather do whatever they want instead of doing the responsible thing and possibly looking weak.

[@evnejg94]

What is your opinion on clover ground cover? I read it can reintroduce some vital nutrients through its life cycle.

[@birdsandwasps]

Clover is also invasive in North America

[@zyxw2000]

It fixes nitrogen in its roots and releases it into the soil. Nitrogen is a component of fertilizer.

[@richardsmith748]

Living in the wilderness has changed my perception of indoor plants. Native orchids and ferns all the way. Australian here.

[@SpencerHHO]

It's an issue in Australia too although much less so. They barely survive the long dry summers and when fires come through they are wiped out completely whereas the natives have evolved with fire for millions of years. They're mostly a problem in periurban and metropolitan parks as well as old Victorian era buildings. It's very satisfying seeing wetter areas finally dry out and burn. They could be completely choked with ivy but the natives recover so much quicker from fire and often the Ivy never comes back because it's not popular anymore.

[@Mrs.TJTaylor]

I agree! I made the mistake of planting it once. In five years time it took over my woods. The work it took to pull, dig, rake it out was backbreaking. A sprig pops up every now and again and I’m quick to snatch it out.

[@joycestempa5647]

1,000% correct. ADD Wisteria and Trumpet Vine to this list too!! Both of those are Jurassic quality monsters that are more than capable of eating your entire house, escaping into your neighborhood, engulfing trees, fences and anything in their path, all while choking out native species left & right and making it virtually impossible to contain them within only a few short years!! I have both of these invasive plants. I planted them 25 years ago (because nobody warned me) and I can tell you for certain, they are a FULL TIME job 8 months a year to try to manage!! I literally have to cut them back WEEKLY during the growing season, plus I have to cut 100% of the seed pods off (on a 20 foot tall wisteria) to prevent it from taking over my yard. Plus, I had to pour concrete over my entire back yard to prevent the trumpet vine from spreading through root runners and I still have to be constantly vigilant by digging up & pull out (not cutting off ) the runners that sprout up to 50 feet away from the “mother” plant. It’s exhausting!! These plants are real honest to goodness BEASTS and should NEVER be sold in any retail garden center for any reason at all. Beautiful as these Medusa plants are, it’s not worth the extreme effort it requires to have them!!

[@ashtonlorainew]

What’s the solution? How do we get rid of it? I bought a house a couple years ago and there’s a bunch in my yard. Next to my property is a decent size strip of woods and it’s taken over long ago. What can I do? I’ve already looked up native plants to buy to help the woods but I fear they’ll get choked out by the ivy.

[@garygibson4845]

Damned hard to get rid of. Especially if you’re close to a creek or watershed.

[@tylerk.7947]

I’m a horticulturalist that specializes in native plants in the southern Appalachians. You’re not going to get rid of English IV by planting things that outcompete it. It pretty much can’t be out competed. You need to rid your property or at least the planting areas of it before planting. Sheet mulching after manual removal and keeping the area mulched for Two years to watch for regrowth will set you up for success.

[@jen_chaos]

Thank you so much for this message!

[@MeUrWishGranted]

Admittedly I bought some (long before I saw this video) it hasn't grown at all so I guess it's OK. 😅

[@LulaMae21]

My grandfather once let a tenant plant a mimosa tree in the yard and had many regrets. Said he never would have allowed it if he'd realized how invasive it would be.

[@marshabailey1029]

100% agree. I have to pull hundreds of feet of this mess out from around my home. It was destroying my siding, busted my basement windows, grew up through my sunroom floor…awful stuff. I wished bad things on the people that lived here before me because of this mess.

[@mattysmith8754]

You need a weed register in your country. We have one here, and plants on that list can’t legally be sold. National and local registers.

[@mexicas6637]

"Garbage ivy" the only name I will use from now on. My neighbor has a huge patch of this trash in his back yard that connects to mine. I will be pulling it till I die.

[@karoshi2]

I'm from Europe, that stuff is native here. None the less a pest in the garden. You can't eat it, it blooms only on 10 years old vines (I think), so basically no insect food. You can make soapy water from it for dishes and clothes, but that doesn't work too well.

[@--ag]

Thank you for educating me on this. I never did like ivy branches and leaves

[@Fraxinus_Americana]

Winged burning bush is another one that’s a huge pain and it’s so difficult to get rid of but I keep seeing it at the stores

[@muddysteam]

My house I rent used to be neglected and it was surrounded by woods and the whole ground cover is just English ivy that the boomers in the 50-60s definitely planted cause it all roots back to on flower bed

[@amandabaker4678]

Ah yes, it was definitely the Boomers that did it. Despite being mostly little kids and teenagers in the 50s and 60s, they were well known for their passion for non-native horticulture. Forget hide-and-seek or bike riding - there's invasive ivy to be planted!

[@ShaneGuy-pg9xv]

How can we legally get nurseries & vendors to stop selling all of these invasive plants?

[@lasseb5612]

I like my ivy and would never take it out… Luckily I live in Europe😂

[@ingevankeirsbilck9601]

I'm in Europe as well, but I hate the stuff! Can I send you some of mine 😅?

[@Dbatem]

I got it for baskets only….but wondering what happens if I compost it at end of season….now I shall burn it instead

[@DurzoBlunts]

Here in the south east we have a serious problem with air potatoes. Luckily we can release a species of beetles that like to eat it but it still doesnt kill it. The plant isnt even sold in stores it is just that invasive. I hate invasives, i also just got done removing five 50 ft camphor trees this past spring. Boy that smelled interesting after the forestry mulcher

[@DixieSchizo]

As someone who does tree work I hate the stuff. It makes it impossible to rake anything and it's just nasty in general

[@Meraxes6]

Just removed as much as I could from my front yard. It starts well before anything else in the spring and chokes everything out. It always comes back though

[@GothZenpai]

I'm absolutely sick of this plan.I moved into Houston Virginia 2 years ago.My entire backyard is full of it and getting out is absolutely ridiculous

[@LuckyCoinFrog]

makes me wana spam a QR code sticker to this video on every pot of these at the stores. ANYTHING invasive should be marked with warnings if they are allowed at all. buyers have zero idea.

[@Shaw7373]

I hate how only American content is shown to UK viewers. Online articles especially, because there's no accent to give it away. People our killing our NATIVE plants because they heard something was invasive (in America) and didn't understand the "in America" part.

[@gerardvanwilgen9917]

You have a point there. English ivy is obviously native to England and does not cause many problems there. And in Europe we have a fair number of invasies species from North America, possibly including some that are recommended as native alternatives in such content.

[@mollypitcher9380]

You’re the best!!!!🌳

[@Tf03]

This is an important message!

[@crncaogden4747]

LITERALLY, oh my goodness why is it everywhere still?

[@jonahadams7906]

What do you recommend for something that you want to vine up a trellis or wall? All I know of is Virginia Creeper

[@siamsasean]

New folks moved in down the street where there's two apple trees in front. They weeded and put down plastic to suppress more growth, but they let ivy grow Up One Of The Apples! I'm crying.

[@rdr2clips255]

Same with bittersweet. I have a forest backyard but when i look out the window, less than 10% of all leaves i can see is actual tree leaves. Its so invasive that it covers almost every square inch of yard that i cant get to. Its so bad that the vibes prevent me from getting to the roots.

[@Robert_A_Keyboards4948]

English Ivy is very prolific! It doesn't matter if you stop buying it. By the way I never have, because there is some in my backyard along the fence and some on a tree. It does indeed grow like crazy everywhere!

[@blackawana]

Thank you! So sad.

[@godzilla0974]

My English Ivy lives in a concrete jungle. It ain’t going nowhere. 😊😊

[@jenniferw5095]

They do clean indoor air. Thats the only positive. Keep them indoors.

[@robertjordinelli3041]

I remember selling it at the plant nursery I worked at from 1983- 1988, along with Canary Island Ivy, and Algerian ivy. Was big in Southern California.

[@katiejude14]

Currently battling this in the lot where im trying to grow a food forest. Its slow going lol

[@devleigh]

Thank you! I’m ready the meaningful legislation around limiting sales of non native plants

[@MusicalBotany]

I love you! This is awesome!

[@zmblion]

I dug up breeches and put them in my garden they are always nice to see in the spring

[@blipblip88]

Invasive and FAST GROWING! Grows all around our property and I can't keep up with it. i don't use pesticides, so I'm left with lard manual labor to tame it. I need some little goats-I hear they eat ivy.

[@theonh9365]

I recently got Baltic ivy as a fence cover and it doesn’t look that invasive. It likes to stay low but when I put it on a fence, some leaves die and doesn’t look healthy at all. Are they that different?

[@veganvocalist4782]

GOOD info , thank you

[@procrastinator41]

Guests frequently comment on the many little birds seeming to enjoy themselves in our small yard. We planted native species

[@user-rk5df7ke9g]

But does it cause harm where it’s native to?

[@avoxace84]

There needs to be more pressure on retailers to sell native plants.

[@LatinaCreamQueen]

I thought he was about to go full Johnny Silverhand for a second there. Maybe we should.

[@mufasah888]

I have vinca minor in my yard. Is that native to US? I need to look into that. I love it, but not sure if its harmful.

[@JahTube]

You know the botanical name, just search it online to get your answer (European plant btw)

[@mufasah888]

@JahTube ya, I just googled it. It's soooo invasive and not native to the US. **sighs*** How disappointing. I will have to find a replacement. 🥴

[@dustinolney3977]

I totally get it but what also blows my mind is you can maintain the growth of the plant so if it's really beautiful to people and they want it in a particular location then go for it but control it

[@carolinelawrence-hovey5704]

I only rent and I’m not trying to put work and money into a property that I don’t own but I am definitely doing what I can to keep the english ivy on the property contained

[@Thomasgonzaleswd]

I know other places have a real problem with how invasive English ivy is. I live in Texas and have a very small potted English ivy. It will die and grow back every few months and most it’s grown is maybe like 6-8inch dangling off the pot. Definitely not invasive for where I live but it’s crazy to see it’s so invasive many other places because it’s not the case at all for my area

[@kirbynichols265]

It’s ugly in your garden anyway. 😂 So freaking hard to get rid of. Don’t even start!

[@liviawong6928]

I have one that I got from breaking up part of one growing on the roadside. It lives in a terrarium on our porch

[@nikkireigns]

I’d like to sell native plants out of my woods/farm land 🌱 Is that a thing or should I collect or order seeds instead?

[@B3OWULF416]

I just realized you're in Philadelphia area Andrew. I'm in the southwest part and I've been looking into planting a while and just starting. I got an aloe vera, habanero and sweet mint for now. I have been wanting to throw seeds out in my grass to let grow wild and add some vibrance to my yard. I was thinking about lavender. Any recommendations?

[@ross6753]

You shouldn't tell us, tell the vendors! Over here in Europe, the Hedera doesn't do that. I don't know why it misbehaves in America

[@edwardweber5655]

Hell I got it. And I don't know how. It is in two places. 😬 I pulled it. Out but it still there . If you miss a steam. Your back to square one 😱

[@Dcb2886]

It shocks me how people rationalize having ivy in spite of all the damage it does. In King County alone It is impacting over 80% of our trees. Yes, we need to stop by in these plants from Home Depot, Lowe's and any other vendor. Not only is it impacting our native plants it's impacting wildlife as well. Ivy is an interstate for rats at least that's how we looked at it when I worked at the public health department

[@kennethlgabriel]

Love this and agree; however, "they" won't stop selling and "they" won't stop buying!

[@bananabread162]

I’ve had one in a pot for about a year or two now (gift from parents). Didn’t realize any of this and not sure how to feel about it now

[@GardenUPLandscape]

It is illegal to sell plants that are on the Noxious weed lists. There problem is that this weed isn't on those lists, probably because it's not an issue for agriculture. I wonder if reaching out to our Noxious weed boards in each state would do any good?

[@Eveningkiss]

I've been trying to remove this and morning glory ivy from my yard for YEARS. It's invasive as hell

[@benediktk.8228]

Has the negative effect of ivy as an invasive plant been scientifically invastigated sufficiently? Within its native range here in central europe it is also very widespread a often covers the ground or tree trunks in a similar fashion.

[@kpayan6282]

What is a alternative native plant like ivy we can buy ??

[@carolynstevenson7682]

AGREED

[@Mr-Mr66]

Strange, i live in the uk and ive taken 3 ivy cuttings from a garden gate about 8 months ago. Im literally about to put them in my flower bed to cover a wooden carved hand that comes up from the ground.

[@shingala8544]

Sounds like an imaginary dialogue of the first nations about invading Europeans .... "please stop being nice to them" .... history on a different level (btw I really admire your educational work)

[@SmarteeeSteve]

Winter creeper is a bad one here in Cincinnnati And Wild grape vines Asian bittersweet too

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

Same problem here in Scotland but with Rhododendron. A horrible non-native invasive that has gripped our countryside, particularly the west coast where it favours the more temperate, wet climate. Yet it is still widely sold and purchased in garden shops. It needs to be banned.

[@ingevankeirsbilck9601]

Belgium here, totally agree! According to a German video I saw there isn't a single species in our part of Europe that eats from this tree, nests in it...

[@aceystar1478]

What do we have that can fill out a trellis?

[@kapa0224]

Right on, it is a terribly invasive plant everyone should avoid it all costs!! Cannot imagine buying it!

[@dshe8637]

It's a nice houseplant. I just pick bits from the wild and pot up indoors.

[@williamdownie7731]

Wow, we actually have a species thats hardy enough to become invasive! Pretty suprising as its normally the other way around.

[@teppet4119]

me being confused for a moment because Ivy is awsome before realizing hes talking about the US and its not native there. but really if youre in europe ivy is banger for basically anything, doesnt harm the trees too as long as the trees big enough (or you keep it in check) ivy trees look awsome too.. also, its one of the latest bloomers and offers a lot of wild bees sustenance in the fall.

[@emilynorth6068]

If you want it as a house plant go and dig some up, removing some of the problem