I visited a friend yesterday and she gave me an idea for today’s blog – Common Ivy (or, as I just found -Hedera Helix). She has been fighting it for the last three years since she moved to this place, but as far as I can see, the victory is not in sight yet.
It is a very invasive plant, and if you let it grow unchecked, it can take over and choke even the strongest trees. I’ve read it can climb into the canopy of trees in such density that the trees will fall from the weight. Ivy can grow to create the whole "ivy deserts" and, because of it, in some places it is illegal to sell or import it.
It looks like it can stick to, or climb on almost anything. I found it interesting that it is actually being dispersed by birds eating the berries. I see ivy growing everywhere here in Washington – people’s yards, parks, trails, many many different places. I wonder if there were ever any serious efforts to get rid of it locally. I was also wondering if there is anything positive or useful about ivy and found that it can actually be quite good for honey producing as the ivy flowers are very rich in nectar, and are an important late fall food source for bees. I’ve also read that in the past, the leaves and berries were used to treat cough and bronchitis.
However, when I described all this ivy goodness to my friend, she was not convinced. She said she was not giving up. To her, she said, it’s a holy war. She hates ivy with a passion, and she won’t rest until she eradicates it completely from at least her own back (and front) yard.
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