However, people searching online for ivy are usually coupling their hunt with the phrases \u2018how to kill ivy\u2019 and \u2018how to get rid of ivy.\u2019<\/p> In an upcoming episode of Talking Gardens<\/a><\/em>, the Gardens Illustrated<\/em> podcast, Katy Merrington<\/a>, Cultural Gardener at The Hepworth Wakefield<\/a>, says: \u201cPeople are funny about ivy. I have a lot of friends and family when they move house, they\u2019ll talk to me about their garden and they\u2019ll say, the first thing we\u2019ve got to do is this big load of ivy we need to chop down. Why do you need to chop it down? Unless it’s actually making a wall structurally unsafe because it’s entered into the mortar fully. I mean, why?\u201d<\/p> She continued: \u201cWhen you think about it ivy is one of the ultimate plants. It can live in sun or shade. I read on the RHS [website]<\/a> that it supports more than 140 species of insects, 17 species of birds and countless others shelter in its evergreen structure. It\u2019s probably Britain’s only evergreen clinging climber in our flora, so I think it’s beautiful. I think we need to love ivy. And so, I would encourage it.\u201d<\/p> Make sure you don’t miss Katy’s episode on the Talking Gardens podcast<\/a>, which will be available on 4 June. <\/em><\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> There is a widely held belief that self-clinging climbers like ivy have detrimental effects to walls and trees when they grow up them, and this seems to be one of the main reasons people look to remove this plant from their gardens.<\/p> When we asked our readers what they thought of ivy, many of them responded saying that it ruins brickwork, destroys walls<\/a> and wrecks pointing with one person even saying: \u201cI had to rebuild half a wall \u2013 it was growing through the mortar to the other side.\u201d<\/p> People feel that it is hard to control and that once it gets going it is hard to keep on top of. Several of our followers said that it \u201cdamages buildings\u201d and \u201cdestroys fences,\u201d and one person commented that they believed it provides a hiding place for rats.<\/p> Others were concerned that it chokes and strangles trees as it climbs up them, damaging them and in some instances killing them. <\/p> We asked the experts about whether people\u2019s assumptions and knowledge about ivy were accurate. Here\u2019s what they said.<\/p> When it comes to whether ivy is damaging to buildings, the short answer is: it depends. \u201cSo much depends upon the building in question,\u201d says Katy. \u201cIf you have a sturdy structure, then ivy attaches superficially to the surface and does no damage. However, if you\u2019ve got any deterioration in the construction, then it is tempting for ivy to root into gaps, and this is what you want to avoid.\u201d<\/p> Tijana Blanusa, RHS Principle Horticultural Scientist agrees, saying: \u201cIvy is unlikely to create damage to sound walls.\u201d She went on to say: \u201cEven when risks of damage are minimal, ivy, like any living thing, needs management such as annual pruning and inspection so that it is kept away from gutters and other openings which need to remain open.\u201d<\/p> Find out more about whether English ivy damages walls.<\/a><\/em><\/p> Similarly, ivy may not be as troublesome for trees as people might think. Katy told us: \u201cIvy will use a tree for scaffolding, but it\u2019s not a parasite, as it cannot tap into the tree\u2019s water or nutrients. On a healthy tree, ivy tends to dwell on the trunk, but if a tree is declining, then ivy may extend into its canopy, and this is something to keep an eye out for.\u201d<\/p> Leigh Hunt, RHS Principle Horticultural Advisor, added: \u201cWhere trees are in poor health, and so have a sparse or light canopy, the ivy can reach the crown and may then compete with the tree. Where this happens the additional foliage in the canopy can make more of a sail in the wind, too, making it more prone to being blown over in storms. The message here, though, is healthy trees are fine.\u201d<\/p> Lots of readers in the United States got in touch to let us know that ivy is invasive where they live. In the UK, however, English ivy is not classed as an invasive species. Leigh said: “Ivy isn\u2019t classed under any legislation (a benchmark for invasive in the UK) as problematic. It can grow well and seeds a little, but it is simple to control by pruning and digging \u2013 sometimes that might be a big task on a big plant, but it\u2019s extremely easy compared to true invasives such as Japanese knotweed<\/a>.”<\/p> Katy added: “I think it\u2019s a question of \u2018right plant, right place\u2019. In the right spot, in a balanced ecosystem, ivy happily fulfils its niche amidst its neighbours. However, if grown in an ornamental flowerbed with less vigorous plants, or outside its native range, then it may well need reigning in.”<\/p> Ivy can be a vigorous plant, and if grown among ornamental beds it could need careful management to keep it in check. <\/p> However, Katy says it still has its place in various garden spaces. “Sometimes a dense evergreen ground cover is exactly what you are looking for,” she says. “Particularly for tricky spots of dry shade, under trees, or on steep banks. If you are worried about ivy spreading, a good time to prune it is in early spring, before the birds have begun their nesting season.”<\/p> Leigh added to this, saying: “Ivy is slow growing. At best, you might see 30-45cm of growth from a mature plant each year (much less than something like wisteria<\/a> that can grow 1.5-1.8m a year). A once a year trim is sufficient to keep it in bounds. Hedera Hibernica<\/em> can make a good ground cover in gardens, growing in dry, shady positions that few other plants tolerate. When you see it growing in the countryside, it\u2019s notable how it\u2019s often part of a very wide range of species that grow on the woodland floor, including dog\u2019s mercury and dead nettles. In the garden, if ivy appears to overrun other plants, it\u2019s usually because the ivy is better adapted to the conditions \u2013 the plants less able to cope reduce or die out over time, but that\u2019s not the fault of the ivy.”<\/p> Although plenty of people got in touch to let us know that they don’t like ivy, lots of our readers also told us why they do like it. Sixty two per cent of our followers on Instagram and X said that they like English ivy, with one person saying “it grows all over my garden and with gentle management is fab for the wildlife.”<\/p> Another person said “birds love it for nesting and also for feeding on the berries,” while others also mentioned that it was great for pollinators. A recent study<\/a> published by Butterfly Conservation showed that having flowering ivy in the garden increased the numbers of some species of butterflies including Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Comma. <\/p>Why does ivy have such a bad reputation?<\/h3>
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Are these assumptions about ivy true?<\/h3>
Does ivy damage buildings?<\/h4>
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Does ivy harm trees?<\/h4>
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Is ivy invasive?<\/h4>
Does ivy smother other plants?<\/h4>
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Why do people like ivy? <\/h3>
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