Andrew the Arborist (@Andrew_the_Arborist) recently had some choice words for vendors that continued to sell invasive plants.
"In my opinion, English Ivy (Hedera helix) needs to be banned for sale!" he wrote in the caption of his video. "It has taken over much of our woodlands by creeping along the ground, shading out native plants, and climbing up big native trees. It's one of the worst woodland invasives, but yet it doesn't seem to get catch enough flack and remains an extremely popular plant at big box stores."
Retailers selling English ivy is a sadly common practice. The plant is notorious for strangling trees and carpeting the ground, blocking out any potential for other plants to grow.
Andrew went on to recommend a batch of native alternatives for ground cover, such as moss phlox, woodland phlox, golden ragwort, Allegheny pachysandra, wild ginger, and Green-and-gold.
Invasive species are a massive problem for ecosystems and humans alike. Without the checks and balances a species evolved with, they can rapidly outcompete other species native to a new habitat. Once they establish a monopoly on vital resources like food, water, and space, invasives create a decline in biodiversity and ecosystem services that many depend on.
One study suggested that this drop in ecosystem services impacts the economy to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Other research estimated that the cumulative costs of invasive species over the last 50 years have topped a trillion dollars.
Planting more native species helps avoid that damage and provides benefits to local pollinators while being incredibly low-maintenance.
Andrew's YouTube followers were keen to pile in with solutions to English ivy.
"Sheet mulching after manual removal and keeping the area mulched for Two years to watch for regrowth will set you up for success," said one community member.
"It would help if garden centers and nurseries sold more native plants," replied another. "In my area there are only a couple short term sales from small nurseries each year. The stock is very limited so you frequently can't get what you want or need."
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