08/12/2026
The genus Hedera is sold commercially as ground cover. This should be illegal. It destroys our native flora and fauna.
Guys I am seeing nurseries EVERYWHERE selling the genus Hedera with varying species of IVY as ground cover. I do not see how this is even still legal in our state or any other. It is EXTREMELY INVASIVE AND KILLS OUR NATIVE FLORA AND FAUNA!! PLEASE DO NOT PLANT IN THE GROUND!!
š Impact on Flora (Plants)Smothers the Forest Floor: Ivy creates a thick, heavy blanket of leaves that blocks sunlight from reaching the ground. This suffocates native woodland wildflowers, native ferns, and tree seedlings, preventing them from growing and Kills Mature Trees. - Causes Structural Collapse: The sheer weight of woody ivy vines makes a tree top-heavy. The leaves act like a sail in the wind, causing healthy trees to snap or blow over easily during winter storms, ice, or heavy rain. -Spreads Plant Diseases: Invasive ivy acts as a primary carrier for bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), a devastating disease that it passes on to native trees like oaks, elms, and maples.šæļø Impact on Fauna (Animals)Destroys Food Sources: When ivy wipes out native shrubs and wildflowers, it eliminates the specific host plants that native caterpillars and insects need to survive. This drop in insects leaves native birds with much less food for their chicks.
-Ruins Ground-Bird Habitats: The dense, tangled mats of ivy make it incredibly difficult for ground-foraging birds to scratch for seeds and bugs.- Displaces Native Bees: Ground-nesting native bees can no longer access bare soil to dig their nests through the thick mesh of ivy roots and vines.Attracts Unwanted Pests: While native wildlife suffers, the dense cover of invasive ivy creates an ideal, protected breeding ground for non-native pests, specifically rats in urban and suburban green spaces.
