Ivy is a vigorous, evergreen climber that can grow to 30m (98ft). Its purple-green stems become woody with age and produce

Adventitious refers to a root or shoot that forms in an unusual location, such as from a stem or leaf. Adventitious roots often help a plant anchor itself, as in the case of those produced from ivy and pothos stems. Both adventitious roots and shoots are produced by leaf cuttings to create new plants, and by many types of orchid when they produce keikis (plantlets) from flowering stems.

Ivy has enormous value to wildlife: 

• Its dense, evergreen leaves provide year-round hiding, roosting and hibernating places for various insects, birds and small mammals 
• It is a preferred nesting plant for dunnocks, flycatchers, wrens and robins 
• Its leaves are an important food source for caterpillars of many butterflies and moths, including the holly blue butterfly and swallow-tailed moth 
• Its flowers are an invaluable late pollen and nectar source for many pollinating insects, including bees, hoverflies, wasps, butterflies and moths 
• Its high-fat berries are eaten by numerous different garden birds, including blackbirds, finches, thrushes, doves, starlings, waxwings and pigeons  
• As a groundcover plant, it can greatly lessen the effect of frost, allowing creatures to forage in its leaf litter during cold weather

Ivy is also a useful garden plant, able to cover a large area and tolerate deep shade. There are many cultivars available with a variety of leaf colours and patterns, making it an attractive choice for evergreen groundcover. For information on selecting, pruning and training ivy, see our growing guide on Hedera (ivy).    

However, ivy is a fast-growing, vigorous plant. It is often seen as a weed as it can quickly smother smaller plants and colonise areas of bare soil. In trees, it can obscure attractive bark, hide and exacerbate existing problems and even overwhelm and outcompete thin-canopied species.

Here are our answers to your most common questions about controlling ivy:

How invasive is ivy? 

Ivy spreads primarily by its fast-growing stems which root along their length. A single ivy plant can easily cover several metres of bare ground, growing between other plants and potentially smothering smaller ones. Its stems readily grow through and along hedges, as well as over fences, so ivy may be introduced to a garden from neighbouring land. It is, however, relatively easy to keep ground-covering growth in check, by pruning back stems and digging-up rooted sections.  

Climbing ivy also produces seed once it matures, though it may take ten years or more to reach this point. As the berries are eaten by birds, seed may be deposited a long way from the parent plant, and it is unusual to see lots of ivy seedlings appearing in a garden. Any that do can be easily removed before they become established. 

Is ivy harmful to trees? 

Although ivy on trees is often thought to be a serious problem, endangering the health of even large trees, it isn’t directly harmful. Its aerial roots don’t penetrate tree bark – they attach to it for support only – and mature, healthy trees are able to cope with some competition at ground level for water and nutrients, and at canopy level for light.   

There are, however, a few instances where it might be desirable or necessary to remove ivy from tree trunks: 

• On ornamental trees with decorative bark, like many birches and acers, which can become obscured by ivy 
• On young or newly planted trees which can suffer from competition for light, water and nutrients 
• On trees with sparse canopies, like ash (Fraxinus) and larch (Larix), which can become heavily smothered and weakened from competition 
• On old, weak or previously damaged trees, where ivy growth can hide problems such as cavities or signs of decay, potentially making a tree unsafe. The extra weight of ivy on an already ailing tree can also make the canopy unstable, particularly in windy conditions. 

© Shutterstock

Ivy might cover signs of decay or disease on trees 

Do I need to get rid of ivy? 

No – allowing ivy to grow in a wildlife area, woodland, less-cultivated area or along and among a mature hedge is a great way to attract wildlife and boost the biodiversity of your garden. Ivy is a valuable garden plant as it tolerates challenging conditions, such as deep shade and dry soil, where many other plants would struggle to grow.

Ivy growing over logs creates a wildlife habitat 

© Shutterstock

Ivy is a useful groundcover plant in shady areas 

What is the easiest way to kill ivy? 

As ivy is so beneficial to wildlife and is not directly harmful to trees, it is preferable to control its spread, rather than remove it completely. However, if you have ivy growing where it is not wanted, or removal is necessary due to a tree safety concern, there are the following options: 

On trees 

• Cut across all stems near to ground level – using loppers, a pruning saw or a chainsaw if very woody. Severing the stems kills what is already growing up a tree, although dead brown leaves often remain attached. On large trees it is not usually possible to detach the stems, and leaving these in place allows them to continue to provide shelter for wildlife.  
• Dig out the woody stump – using a sharp spade (and pickaxe if necessary). This will prevent ivy from regrowing but is often not possible due to the stump's proximity to the tree trunk. If you can’t remove the stump, regularly cut any new growth back to ground level. This will weaken the plant, although it may take a long time to completely kill it.

© Shutterstock

Cutting through ivy stems will kill the growth above 

As groundcover 

• Prune stems regularly during the growing season – to keep them within a defined area and prevent them rooting. Use secateurs, shears or a hedge trimmer depending on the size of the area.  
• Pull and dig up stems and roots – work across an area of ivy hand-pulling and forking out any rooted sections of stem. Secateurs and loppers are useful to cut through crossing stems and make inroads. Use a border fork, inserted to its full depth, to dig out any well-rooted sections. Keep a close eye on the cleared area, removing any regrowth promptly.  
• Smother plants – a good option where vegetation is very dense and digging up ivy isn’t practical. Use a strimmer to remove all top growth before covering the ground with a layer of compostable material, such as cardboard, and then a layer about 20cm (8in) thick of organic matter, such as bark or wood chips. Alternatively, use a heavy duty biodegradable mulch matting. This will block light and prevent growth, causing the root system to die. Keep soil covered for a few years, topping up the mulch layer if necessary, to ensure this method is effective. 

All parts of ivy except very woody stems/roots can be added to your home compost or green waste recycling bin.

Should I use weedkiller? 

No – although it can take time and patience to completely remove ivy, non-chemical methods are effective, so there is no need to use a weedkiller.  

As ivy has glossy, moisture-resistant leaves, weedkiller sprays are often ineffective, and it may take several applications to see any marked effect.