Cathy Isom continues her series on invasive plants by letting you know about the fast growing evergreen vine that you’ll want to avoid planting at all costs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Evergreen Vine to Avoid Planting
Now that we know that there are some aggressive and invasive plants that we don’t want in our garden, or to accidentally plant them in or around our garden, it’s important to call them out!
English Ivy for example. It’s a trailing, climbing, evergreen vine. Nurseries may recommend it for privacy, as a wall and ground cover. It’s low maintenance, drought, and low-light tolerant, and also winter hardy. The problem with English Ivy is that it quickly outpaces nearly everything in its path, crowding out other plants, and making areas unfriendly for some wildlife. Ivy will cover even large plants, blocking light and eventually killing them.
The plant is also toxic to humans and some animals and may cause allergic skin reactions. If you leave English ivy on buildings or other infrastructure, it can cause serious damage.
Look for plenty of other great vines out there that are much better for the environment.
I’m Cathy Isom…