How and Why Ivy Is Damaging to Your Trees (and What to Do About It)

Ivy may be a plant associated with the pinnacle of academia, but an ivy league is certainly not something you’d want to find in your yard. The ornamental climbing plant can wreak havoc on your other plant life, including your trees. Here’s what you should know about the risks of this relentless vine and what you can do about it:

Does Ivy Damage Trees?

Ivy can have certain benefits to wildlife, including shelter for small species. Yet, it also has the potential to overtake an entire mature tree. The vine damages bark as it climbs, using the outer layer as a scaffold for climbing and adding extra weight. It will also siphon resources like nutrients and water from the soil, taking them away from the tree. With a thick enough coating, ivy can also hold damaging agents like fungal spores close to the bark, leading to disease or decay.

Ivy makes its way up the tree in an attempt to get closer to the light. When it reaches the canopy, it can shield the tree’s leaves from sunlight and inhibit photosynthesis. As a result, it may ultimately overtake the foliage and kill the tree off slowly.

How to Remove Ivy from Trees

Clearly, ivy is an issue even for the healthiest of trees, and it’s got to go. But before you start stripping the vines away from your bark, stop and read this first!

Ivy stems become affixed to the bark of your tree so strongly that they can take it with them if you pull it off with too much force. This creates an opening in the protective exterior layer of your tree, leaving the vulnerable interior open to damage from pests, disease, and other forms of destruction.

Instead of removing ivy with a hard pull, you’ll want to sever all of the vines growing up your tree’s trunk. Cutting the band of stems around the trunk’s base will separate the climbing vine from its roots. Over time, this will cause the ivy to wither and die. Simply leave the vine in place after it dies, as it won’t cause any further damage to the tree and the leaves will eventually fall off.

How to Prevent Ivy from Returning

Of course, the best approach to take when it comes to ivy is a preventive one. If you’ve already had it, however, chances are you have an ideal environment for the problem plant to thrive. This means you’ll want to take extra caution to keep it from returning.

After you’ve severed the vines, check back continuously to make sure there are no new ivy sprouts at the base of your tree. One effective way to deter this and other unwanted weeds is to lay mulch. The material will lock in nutrients around your tree’s roots while also preventing any sprouts from getting enough sunlight to thrive. But these are just a few of the benefits of mulching around your trees’ base, as it can also help to prevent fungi and other problems while promoting temperature maintenance.

Whether you’re nurturing a damaged tree back to life or handling decaying branches, Premier Tree Solutions can solve all of your tree woes. Our team specializes in pruning, storm damage response, and tree removal, among other tree care services. Call us at 404.252.6448 to schedule a service or send us a message online.

Tree Artists: Sculpting with Mother Nature

Sometimes, the medium an artist chooses to work with is just as interesting as the art itself. Such is often the case with tree artists. From talented sculptors to topiary masters, the gifted individuals who make artwork out of trees always leave us wowed by their work.

Here’s a spotlight on some of the most in-tree-guing forms of art made with our favorite natural wonders.

Bonsai

The bonsai tree is beloved by many and is often used as a symbol of harmony, patience, or luck. While it’s widely recognized, many people are surprised to discover that cultivating the bonsai tree is actually considered an art form.

Bonsai is an ancient Japanese art in which a small tree is grown in a way that mimics its full-size cousin. These miniature trees are meant to be a representation of nature “planted in a container,” which is the literal translation of bonsai. This meticulous art form requires methodical pruning to give the small plant the appearance of a tree, along with careful use of specific soil. Some perfectionist bonsai enthusiasts even aim to water their creation exclusively with rainwater.

Interested in trying bonsai yourself? Juniper is the most popular variety, but Jade is a particularly low-maintenance strain ideal for beginners.

Topiary

The first historical mention of topiary art extends back to the Roman Empire, with author Pliny the Younger describing cypress animals and figures in his gardens. While the art form went dormant after the fall of Rome, it experienced a resurgence throughout Europe during the Renaissance. Exquisite hedge sculptures were especially popular in France, Italy, and England.

A surge in the popularity of houseplants during the 1950s and 60s prompted Disney to showcase their own take on topiary gardens. The artists behind these impressive works utilize an innovative system in which moss is fastened to steel wires, serving as cutting guides and enabling portability. While topiary gardens can also be seen across the U.S., homeowners can clip their own hedges into shapes as complex or simple as they see fit with small-leaved shrubs. Delavay privet, pittosporum, and English holly are a few worthy contenders.

Stump Sculptors

Replacing a chisel with a chainsaw is certainly a bold move, and it’s precisely what has allowed stump sculptors to achieve their iconic woodsy masterpieces. There are lots of places to find chainsaw carvings, from Etsy to your local farmer’s market.

Finished works often feature symbols of nature, from land mammals like wolves and bears to soaring eagles and hawks. These pieces look lovely against a rustic backdrop and make for the perfect conversation starter for your property.

Tree Shaping

Also known as arborsculpture, tree shaping is a unique practice in which artists use living trees to create sculptures. Techniques include braiding, twisting, framing, pruning, grafting, and bending to form unnatural shapes with the natural medium. Contemporary artists like Peter Cook and Becky Northey have designed tree chairs and other exquisite shapes through their Pooktre process, a gradual shaping method.

Your trees don’t have to be pruned artistically to be beautiful, but they do require basic maintenance for optimal growth and safety. Entrust our trained arborists to shape your trees to encourage full growth and keep your property pristine. Schedule a service by calling 404-252-6448 or reach out to our team online.