An excited would-be plant owner was stopped short of making a costly mistake when they learned their chosen species was horribly invasive.
Posting a photo of shiny green leafy vines on the subreddit r/PlantIdentification, they asked, "Is this English Ivy?"
"Yes," one person confirmed before issuing a simple warning: "Kill it all."
The OP hadn't known much about English ivy previously; they said that it was simply recommended by a friend. When they asked what made it so dangerous, another commenter jumped in with an explanation.
"English ivy is ridiculously invasive and actively destroys native ecosystems it grows in, it basically represses the growth of any other native plants that should be there," they wrote, though they added, "Depends on where in the world you are of course."
English ivy is geographically native in Eurasia and parts of Africa, but in North America, it's more commonly known as a terrorizing presence. It is one of the most common and prolific invasive plant species across the U.S. It regularly grows so abundantly that it can consume entire structures and trees.
Geographically invasive plants like this ivy may look pretty in small quantities, but they're not worth the destruction they wreak, especially on beneficial native plants. By consuming all the resources — particularly water, soil space, and sunlight — that would otherwise go to these native species, invasive species can throw an entire ecosystem off balance.
They're also incredibly difficult to eradicate once they've been established. Certain invasives can re-root from tiny cuttings, making it a Herculean task to not only uproot, chop, and kill them, but also to eliminate any small traces of remaining roots or stems.
Because of this, gardeners — especially hobbyist ones like the OP, who may not be equipped to manage a high-maintenance invasive plant — are much better off opting to rewild their yards with native species and keeping the invasives to pictures only.
Or, as the OP suggested, there might be one other way if you find yourself particularly attached to an invasive.
"Can I take care of it in a pot then?" OP asked the Redditors. "Like a houseplant."
"Yes, absolutely," one replied.
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