We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or so.
Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and it's
starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy, or
vice-versa?

"Ray" wrote in message
...
We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or
so. Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and
it's starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy,
or vice-versa?

Climbing vines can eventually smother a tree by preventing new growth, and
some are parasitic, they actually root into the tree using it as a host,
robbing it of nutrients. Why would you let vines climb up 40 feet... there
is nothing more ugly in a landscape than a tree covered with vines.

they will kill the tree

On Thu, 07 May 2009 05:43:05 GMT, "Ray" wrote:

We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or so.
Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and it's
starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy, or
vice-versa?

Ray wrote:
We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or
so. Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and
it's starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the
ivy, or vice-versa?

Ivy kills by shading out the crown of a tree, over time. Virginia
creeper will not, it has less of a crown requirement. Neither are
parasitic, just taking advantage of height.

I would get rid of the ivy and have done so in my little patch of the world.

On Thu, 07 May 2009 12:14:49 GMT, "brooklyn1"
wrote:


"Ray" wrote in message
...
We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or
so. Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and
it's starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy,
or vice-versa?

Climbing vines can eventually smother a tree by preventing new growth, and
some are parasitic, they actually root into the tree using it as a host,
robbing it of nutrients. Why would you let vines climb up 40 feet... there
is nothing more ugly in a landscape than a tree covered with vines.


A wooded area I take walks at has a section of trees covered with
winter creeper. They remind me of old bearded men. I kind of like it.
(Although not allowed 40 ft in my yard.)

Kate - I have taken clippers to another walking area to free the pines

On Thu, 07 May 2009 05:43:05 GMT, "Ray"
wrote:

We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or so.
Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and it's
starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy, or
vice-versa?

I attended an arberatum seminar about trees and this question came up.
The botany professor stated that English ivy does not kill trees in
Tennessee. Ivy can be aggressive in some locations, and certainly you
don't want it growing on your house. I have ivy growing on three
large tree. It is heavily trimmed from the ground to 5 feet, the deer
keep it from spreading as a ground cover.

Any two plants sharing the same space will compete; view some
time-lapse photography to see the behavior. I often grow two
different plants side-by-side, ones that have similar light, water,
and soil requirements.

In article ,
"Ray" wrote:

We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree -- up to 40 feet or so.
Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree, and it's
starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle out the ivy, or
vice-versa?

It will be a moot point, when the tree falls down. Hope it isn't too
close to your house.
--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being
is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the
moment of conception until death." - Rachel Carson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI29wVQN8Go

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072040.html

Ray wrote:
We have climbing ivy which pretty much covers a tree --
up to 40 feet or so.
Does this ever endanger the tree?

Also, I've planted a Virginia creeper at the base of the same tree,
and it's starting to climb. Does the Virginia creeper ever muscle
out the ivy, or vice-versa?

Have a look at some of the info on ivy and what it does to the trees, etc.
BTW - The ivy on the ground is said to be nice habitat for rats!! :-)


http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/hehe1.htm
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/?c=47820


--
kathy at
fred dot
net

On 08 May 2009 20:42:09 GMT, wrote:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/hehe1.htm
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/?c=47820
"ECOLOGICAL THREAT
English ivy is a vigorous growing vine that impacts all levels of disturbed and
undisturbed forested areas, growing both as a ground cover and a climbing vine. As
the ivy climbs in search of increased light, it engulfs and kills branches by
blocking light from reaching the host tree’s leaves. Branch dieback proceeds from the
lower to upper branches, often leaving the tree with just a small green “broccoli
head.” The host tree eventually succumbs entirely from this insidious and steady
weakening. In addition, the added weight of the vines makes infested trees much more
susceptible to blow-over during high rain and wind events and heavy snowfalls. Trees
heavily draped with ivy can be hazardous if near roads, walkways, homes and other
peopled areas. On the ground, English ivy forms dense and extensive monocultures that
exclude native plants. English ivy also serves as a reservoir for Bacterial Leaf
Scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), a plant pathogen that is harmful to elms, oaks, maples
and other native plants."

wrote in message
...
On 08 May 2009 20:42:09 GMT, wrote:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/hehe1.htm
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/?c=47820
"ECOLOGICAL THREAT
English ivy is a vigorous growing vine that impacts all levels of
disturbed and
undisturbed forested areas, growing both as a ground cover and a climbing
vine. As
the ivy climbs in search of increased light, it engulfs and kills branches
by
blocking light from reaching the host tree's leaves. Branch dieback
proceeds from the
lower to upper branches, often leaving the tree with just a small green
"broccoli
head." The host tree eventually succumbs entirely from this insidious and
steady
weakening. In addition, the added weight of the vines makes infested trees
much more
susceptible to blow-over during high rain and wind events and heavy
snowfalls. Trees
heavily draped with ivy can be hazardous if near roads, walkways, homes
and other
peopled areas. On the ground, English ivy forms dense and extensive
monocultures that
exclude native plants. English ivy also serves as a reservoir for
Bacterial Leaf
Scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), a plant pathogen that is harmful to elms,
oaks, maples
and other native plants."

Why did you find it compelling to repost part of a web site that was posted
yesterday?

I was always under the impression ivy eventually killed the tree.

We have a big park close to home and all of the trees there are covered in Ivy and have been for many years so I don't know.