Why is English Ivy Harmful?

While English Ivy provides shelter for wildlife and berries for birds, it is considered highly invasive in many parts of North America. Forming dense mats and climbing trees, English Ivy outcompetes native vegetation by smothering and choking it out. Its adaptability to shade, drought, pollution, and poor soils makes it especially persistent, and controlling it often requires repeated manual removal or careful herbicide use. English ivy poses significant ecological risks when it escapes cultivation, so reducing its spread is key to protecting Calvert County’s green spaces.

The photo (right) shows English Ivy’s growth habit of wrapping around trees. When this happens, English Ivy poses several harmful and sometimes fatal effects to the tree, including blocking out sunlight, harboring disease, competing for resources, and adding significant weight, sometimes causing trees to topple.