Will wrote in message
news
The large ivy all over the wall of a friends house came down in a
recent storm. I have cut it back to about 6 ft from the ground and
noticed that the trunk is about 6 - 8 ins.diameter. My friend wants to
keep it and not let it grow so rampant in the future ......... however
is concerned that as the roots are so near and in fact must be going
under the house would they be likely to cause any structual damage
etc.
Not sure of name but it is the large leafed green & white varigated
leaf type.

Thanks for any help

Hi Will,

I'm far from being an expert on ivy roots and, therefore, cannot tell you
what they are doing or will do. However, my best advice to your friend
would be to contact his building insurers for their opinion. If the insurer
feels that the fabric of the building is threatened, they will not mince
about with horticultural niceties! They may tell your friend to uproot the
ivy, or they may call a surveyor in (not a bad idea, anyway). In the worst
case, they may decline to insure the building. Surely, this is more
important than the future of the ivy?

Spider