Ivy growing on trees.

[Pat]

I have one tree in the yard that has ivy growing up the sides and has covered the complete tree. Does the ivy growing on the tree damage the tree, should it be removed?

 

[Kansas Terri]

I would think that if the leaves of the tree are all covered that the tree could not do photosynthesis and it could kill the tree! And, if there is moisture trapped under the ivy, there are some plant diseases that love moisture and may well attack the trunk.

I do not know about the East coast where you live, but here in the Midwest we have seen rain two days out of three these last three months: that CANNOT be healthy for an ivy covered tree!. The bark would never dry out!

 

[DeborahJane]

I have one tree in the yard that has ivy growing up the sides and has covered the complete tree. Does the ivy growing on the tree damage the tree, should it be removed?

I'm pretty sure it's pretty terrible for the tree. It has to be suffocating it. I've pulled a lot of ivy off quite a few trees in our garden but I guess the ivy hasn't actually killed the trees so I don't just how bad it is. It does have to be monitored though, I'm sure. Good luck with it! It's a bit of a task.

 

[claudine]

I think it can harm the tree, but it won't kill it.
There is a tree in my neighbor's garden that is covered in ivy. It has been like that since I remember.

 

[Sheal]

Ivy is best removed as it will eventually strangle the crown of the tree and stop leaves and branches from growing......a slow death for the tree.

 

[Corzhens]

The only danger I know with that ivy is when it becomes thick as to be a breeding ground for molds and fungus. When that happens, the parasites will destroy the bark of the tree. When the bark goes, the tree follows. Over here, when people would kill a tree, all they have to do is take off the bark, a portion of it about 1 foot all over the girth of the tree. Wait for 2 months and the tree dies.

 

[Pat]

The leaves of the tree are not covered with the ivy just the trunk, I think I will look into having the ivy removed from the tree, it will be a job to get that done. It has not always been growing on the tree as far as I can remember. I would hate to see the tree die because we did not pay attention to the ivy growing on it.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Pat,

From the American Ivy Society:

Ivy on Trees

Q: Can a tree be damaged or killed if it has ivy climbing the trunk?

A: The answer from the American Ivy Society is NO.
When people look at deciduous trees in winter and see evergreen ivy growing up the tree trunks, they incorrectly assume that the ivy (Hedera) is taking over the tree, or damaging or even killing the tree. Ivy is not a parasite but simply attaches to the trunk by means of adventitious roots that cling to the surface of the tree’s bark. The roots do not penetrate the bark which is a non-living, outer protective layer of a tree. Nor does ivy grow into the leafy outermost layer of a tree (the canopy) and smother a tree or prevent photosynthesis. Ivy grows on the trunk of a tree and, when the tree declines because of disease or old age, the ivy may develop at the uppermost tips of the vines into a bushy, mop head that is confined to the interior of a tree.

Vines, particularly ivy that is confined to the interior of a tree, do not damage healthy trees. However, trees that are weak-wooded or in decline and have any kind of vines on them may be damaged in wind and ice storms as has been documented for grapevine (Siccama et al, 1976). When dead tree limbs fall to the ground and decompose into nutrients, these nutrients are taken up by other surrounding plants. This phenomenon is part of the recycling of nutrients that takes place in a forest ecosystem. Even nutrients taken up by ivy are returned to the soil as the ivy leaves are shed and decompose thus adding nitrogen to the soil to be used by the neighboring trees. Although ivy is an evergreen, it does shed its leaves but not all at once. Only ivy leaves that are 2-4 years are shed annually but, since the new leaves remain, ivy is evergreen..In Europe, where ivy is native, ivy researchers have been observing ivies on trees for years. Respected ivy expert Br. Ingobert Heieck in Heidelberg, Germany pointed out (1990) that ivies, which are confined to the trunks of trees, flourish when the trees decline (often from disease, or old age) and the ivy takes advantage of the thinned or now-opened canopy to become adult. That ivy does not damage healthy trees has also recently been pointed out by British ivy authorities Peter Rose (1996), Stephen Taffler (1990) and author Fearnley-Whittingstall (1992).

Literature Cited:

Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jane. 1992. “False Accusations.” pp. 7-10.

Ivies. Random House. New York. 160 pp.

Heieck, Ingobert. 1990. Was man vom Efeu noch wissen sollte. pp. 31-33. IN: Der Efeu auf unseren Friedhöfen. Gärtnerei Abtei Neuburg. Heidelberg, Germany. 34 pp.

Rose, Peter Q. 1996. [Ivy in…Architecture}. p. 21. IN: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Ivies. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. 160 pp.

Siccama, T.G; Weir, G.; and K. Wallace. 1976. Ice damage in a mixed hardwood forest in Connecticut in relation to Vitis infestations. Bulletin of the Torrey

Botanical Club 103: 180-183.

Taffler, Stephen. 1990. In Defence of Ivy. p. 97. IN: Climbing Plants and Wall Shrubs. Crowood Press. Swindon, Wiltshire, England.
128 pp.

Sabina M. Sulgrove, PhD
Taxonomist, American Ivy Society

Will the ivy damage/injure the trees?

Q: I live in Olympia Washington. I have a rental property that I haven't seen for awhile. I went over to repair something for the tenant and was surprised to see the amount of ivy everywhere.

Sorry I don't know the kind. My concern is that it is growing up many Douglas Fir trees. Do you think the ivy will be detrimental to the Douglas Fir over time? Many trees are almost surrounded and the ivy has grown to pretty tall heights (on the tree trunks).

It looks nice and I don't want to destroy the growth unless it will cause problems for the trees. The ground cover ivy is fine.

A: Generally speaking, ivies do not damage healthy trees. However, in your part of the country there are some types of Hedera that have become rather invasive as they love the climate and grow very rapidly. My recommendation to you is that you should develop a regular program of trimming the ivy and keeping it in check. You will probably need to prune it back about twice per year. I would suggest you prune in early spring and late summer.

If you like the ivy climbing on the trunk of the tree perhaps you could allow it to climb to a manageable height and then prune it off so that it does not get out of control and take over the canopy of the trees. I must also caution you to keep the ivy ground cover restricted to your property. Some types of ground cover ivy can become a problem if allowed to escape to
natural surroundings.

http://www.ivy.org/faq-40.htm
http://www.ivy.org/index.html

 

[Trellum]

@InvasiveCreeper Thanks for the reply, I was wondering the same thing and was hoping someone would answer this thread with some actual facts, not just suppositions. Thanks a lot for doing that I have a tree in my yard (my house in the Netherlands) that is starting to get covered in ivy, I feel better knowing I don't have to get rid of the ivy.

 

[Mint]

Ivy on a tree can't be good. You will notice the tree starts to look dull and dark when it is covered with ivy. I am not sure there is a way of getting rid of it but wouldn't be too happy if I had one covered with it. Is this a huge tree we are talking about here?

 

[mgmine]

I have seen lots of tree trunks covered with ivy and they do just fine. On the other hand Virginia creeper will strangle everything in it's path.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Trellum,

You're welcome.

I grow a lot of Ivy, so I am familiar with the plant. I love ivy so I have naturally read a lot over the years about it.