I have had to remove the ivy from a Hawthorn tree, as it has killed half of it. I ring pruned the ivy from the base and have managed to save the other half, but it isn't as healthy as the tree next door, and I suspect it will have to go at some point. I have planted a Holly tree in front of it, so it can take over when I do. So don't take it for granted that ivy does no harm.
Our NDNs have a hawthorn tree tree next to our car port very close to our boundary. They had let ivy grow up the tree for years and it spread onto our car port roof and almost smothered the tree. We had to cut it off the roof as it started to damage it.
That was when OH first had the pain in his hip that lead to a lot of trouble and a hip replacement. He was twisting with a long handled chain saw trying to cut through ivy as thick as an arm. Anyway, that's another story.
This year the neighbour decided to get rid of the ivy. He'd made some attempts before, without success. It was a dreadful job, the ivy had got so thick. The poor hawthorn was in a bit of a state, but by the summer it looked much better.
I would remove the ivy now before it takes over.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Over time - decades - it will harm the tree. There's a green just outside my house with a dozen or more mature oaks. Over many years I have seen 2 or 3 die as the ivy has completely smothered them. The once glorious trees are dead and are now just a huge mass of ivy that will topple the trees in the next few years and block the road - again. Where I walk with my dog there are similar trees that have been smothered and fallen due to ivy smothering the entire tree and the weight of the ivy eventually brings them down.
How has it killed the tree? Our local tree officer (Wealden) told me it was a myth that Ivy kills mature Oaks (we were reviewing TPO's on site at the time). I understand the weight issue on smaller trees but the mature oaks near me are covered in ivy to no ill effect and appear to actually be thriving.
It seemed with the Hawthorn that it smothered the limbs, not allowing the tree to leaf. That side faced the sun and the ivy grew towards it, covering everything. It was near a fence and that was covered too. The previous owner had left it, and the roots were on the neighbours side, so we just had to cut what we could reach for 5 years, until the fence was beyond repair, then they agreed to the complete removal, which also showed it had damaged their Summer house too, so they were happy we had suggested it to go.
As I found this interesting I've been reading about it. Ivy under control doesn't harm trees and is good for wild life. It's only when it smothers a tree and prevents the leaves from doing their job of photosynthesis that it becomes harmful. The tree becomes weaker and more vulnerable to disease.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Over time - decades - it will harm the tree. There's a green just outside my house with a dozen or more mature oaks. Over many years I have seen 2 or 3 die as the ivy has completely smothered them. The once glorious trees are dead and are now just a huge mass of ivy that will topple the trees in the next few years and block the road - again. Where I walk with my dog there are similar trees that have been smothered and fallen due to ivy smothering the entire tree and the weight of the ivy eventually brings them down.
How has it killed the tree? Our local tree officer (Wealden) told me it was a myth that Ivy kills mature Oaks (we were reviewing TPO's on site at the time). I understand the weight issue on smaller trees but the mature oaks near me are covered in ivy to no ill effect and appear to actually be thriving.
I imagine it killed the tree by completely smothering it - all the leaves in this photo are ivy leaves- you can just see a few dead oak branches This will also fall into the road at some stage as others have done over the years.
The hawthorn that this ivy was on died too - the council had the tree removed when it toppled as it blocked an entrance to the field. This is part of the ivy that toppled it. Which has now toppled itself
Ivy that has brought down a hawthorn that is now dying-
Ii think your local TPO needs to get out and about a bit more
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
So glad I rescued my Hawthorn tree from both Ivy & Berberis julianae that had smothered it to a height of 20 feet. It was a b****y big job over many days but seeing how denuded the tree had become, and how much it has improved this year, I got in just in time. I only left it originally because it had become the winter bird roost for all the neighbourhood's House Sparrows as it was also close to next door's big flue from their oil boiler.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
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That was when OH first had the pain in his hip that lead to a lot of trouble and a hip replacement. He was twisting with a long handled chain saw trying to cut through ivy as thick as an arm. Anyway, that's another story.
This year the neighbour decided to get rid of the ivy. He'd made some attempts before, without success. It was a dreadful job, the ivy had got so thick. The poor hawthorn was in a bit of a state, but by the summer it looked much better.
I would remove the ivy now before it takes over.
This will also fall into the road at some stage as others have done over the years.
The hawthorn that this ivy was on died too - the council had the tree removed when it toppled as it blocked an entrance to the field. This is part of the ivy that toppled it. Which has now toppled itself
Ivy that has brought down a hawthorn that is now dying-
Ii think your local TPO needs to get out and about a bit more
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful