A homeowner showcased just how easily invasive plant species can get out of hand with a post on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit.
"Very new to native gardening — this is my first home, bought two years ago — huge patch of English Ivy in the back," the post reads, with an image of their yard space.
English ivy is one of the most highly invasive species in North America, and homeowners are seeing batches just like this spread like wildfires in their yards and surrounding forests.
Removing invasive species is incredibly important for sustaining the long-term health of your local environment, as they can outcompete native plants by consuming limited space and resources in the soil, thereby choking out essential nutrients.
They can also easily spread diseases to other plants, such as Lyme disease through trees. According to one user under the post, they can even harbor poison ivy if growing in an area where poison ivy is native, making safe removal even more of a hassle.
"I learned this the hard way when we bought our house," one user replied under a comment about poison ivy. "English ivy covered backyard, lots of poison ivy mixed in that I didn't know about until after my arm got covered in a rash."
However, native plants can also serve as a natural deterrent to the growth of invasive species if enough are planted, though this only applies if the invasive species have already been removed before planting.
"Real big thing to remember is you gotta plant something else where you pull out the ivy. Nature abhors a vacuum. If you remove the ivy, either it will come back or something worse, so add in what you do want there," one user noted under the post.
Additionally, being adapted to local climate patterns means they require minimal water and maintenance to grow, making them a cost-effective solution for tackling invasive species as well as a viable option for rewilding your yard.
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