A friend of mine at breakfast told me that he felt English ivy was becoming the new kudzu. He has a good point. When you look throughout the county, you see many trees engulfed in the vine. English ivy was used as an ornamental ground cover in Rowan County landscapes in areas where shade from trees prohibits growth of grass. It also found on steep hillsides. However, left unchecked, English ivy can completely engulf trees becoming unsightly. The vine may cause shade tree decline when the vines interfere with sunlight to the tree foliage. The invasive plant is very apparent during the winter months on deciduous trees.

Physical removal is the most effective control measure, utilizing a sharp pair of pruners or loppers to cut large feeder vines at a reasonable height. The upper portion of the vines slowly die and will look unsightly for a few months.

The fresh stumps from the cuts should immediately be painted with full strength brush killer or glyphosate (Roundup). The herbicide will translocate through the vascular system into the root system to control the vine growth.

English ivy also cannot tolerate constant mowing. If there is a possibility that the vine be mowed, it can be controlled with a lawn mower.

English ivy is best controlled with applications of glyphosate (Roundup) in early spring when growth begins. Studies have shown that late summer and fall applications were virtually ineffective.

Darrell Blackwelder is the retired horticulture agent and director with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. Contact him at deblackw@ncsu.edu.