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Does Ivy Hurt Trees? – How To Remove Ivy From Trees

Resources: Tree Problems

Does Ivy Hurt Trees“Does Ivy hurt trees?”  is a question our arborists receive a lot from homeowners in this area. Although many people love the look of ivy growing on trees, Ivy is a threat to your tree.  In fact, these aesthetically appealing vines can actually accelerate rot, steal nutrients, deprive the tree of sunlight, and cause it to fall during a storm. Below you will find out how Ivy hurts trees and how to remove ivy safely.

Does ivy hurt trees? Yes, and this is how:

Steal Nutrients: As vines become larger and climb the trunk of a tree they begin to compete with the tree for water and nutrients. Because ivy is aggressive, the tree is left with very little water and nutrients to support its annual processes and keep itself alive.

Accelerate Rot & Insects:  An invasion of ivy weakens a tree. When trees are weakened they are targets for secondary invaders such as fungi that lead to rot, insects, and diseases.

Deprive The Tree Of Sunlight: Once ivy reaches the canopy of your tree it will block sunlight from reaching the leaves of the tree thus interrupting the process of photosynthesis. When this process is interrupted the tree isn’t able to produce the food it needs to push out new growth the next spring.

Falling During A Storm:  When ivy grows on a tree the tree is forced to support the weight of the ivy vines. With this extra weight, the tree and its branches have a higher risk of breaking and falling on your home during a storm.

How To Remove Ivy

When removing ivy from trees you need to be very careful. Although it looks like you can just pull the ivy off of the tree this is the worst thing you can do. The ivy’s strongly anchored to the tree’s trunk and when pulled can cause damage to the tree.

Instead, ignore the ivy that has climbed the tree and focus on the ivy on the ground around the tree. You will want to remove all the ivy in a 3 to 5-foot circle around the tree. The Ivy will be easier to remove after it has rained when the soil is still soft.

  1. Use clippers to cut a 1 to 2-inch section of the ivy’s roots at the base of the tree. This will starve the ivy that has grown up the tree’s trunk.
  2. Pull all the ivy within a 3 to 5-foot radius of the tree trunk out of the ground. This protects the tree from future infestations that will climb up the tree.
  3. For best results lay down mulch in this 3 to 5-foot radius that is now clear of ivy.
  4. As the vines dry out over the next few weeks dead ivy can be easily removed from the tree.
  5. Keep an eye on the tree to catch any ivy you missed that is starting to regrow.

BE CAREFUL:  English ivy can cause a rash in sensitive individuals. Poison ivy may also be mixed in with the English Ivy on your tree.  We suggest wearing gloves and long sleeves when you remove ivy.

If you prefer us to remove the ivy from your tree give us a call at 703.573.3029 or book an appointment online.

 

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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