Gardener issues urgent warning after posting alarming photos of local trees: 'I wish it was illegal'

A gardener has had it with the invasive species English Ivy after coming across the plant choking out several trees.

In the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, they shared a photo of the ivy climbing up a tree in a thick blanket and admitted they were fed up and wanted some real action to be taken.

"English ivy is one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. It kills trees, smothers native plants, accelerates erosion, and degrades ecosystems — yet major nurseries and garden centers still sell it as ground cover without warning gardeners of the damage it causes," they said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife backs up the gardener's points, warning against planting it because it can escape gardens and yards and spread, choking out understory plants and even trees like the ones pictured in the post. Its leaves and fruit are also toxic to humans and animals, and the sap can irritate skin, adding to the complicated process of fully removing it.

The gardener proposed boycotting businesses that continue to sell it, hoping that if enough people take a stand, "we can push nurseries to stop profiting from invasives and instead promote native alternatives that support biodiversity."

Redditors in the comments wholeheartedly agreed with the original poster. 

"I wish it was illegal to sell any invasive plant," one person wrote. 

Another person suggested that even when species are listed as invasive, "government, HOAs, cities, communities, people don't care — as long as they are cheap, easy to maintain and/or pretty."

The thing is, native species require less maintenance than their invasive counterparts, as they're best suited for the environment they grow in. They don't need extra watering, fertilizing, or mowing, all of which cost time, money, and resources, while often adding harmful chemicals into the mix from pollution.

Native plants are also beneficial to gardens and yards by providing habitats and food for wildlife, including pollinators, which are crucial to plants' life cycles, including crops. 

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Further in the comments, one person was ready to join the gardener's crusade to replace English ivy and other invasive plants. 

"The best remedy is to just overwhelm an area with natives. Go severe and extreme with the native plants," they wrote.

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