Some landscapers may view vines as a nuisance, as they grow autonomously over and around fences, walls, and other vegetation. However, native vines in nature or even in the lawn can simultaneously benefit the environment and gardeners.
Native vines have coevolved with native trees to shelter and protect creatures such as birds, squirrels, and insects, according to Coohom. Nonnative species of vines, though, are a different story and should be removed from landscapes with care.
One person identified nonnative English ivy, a common invasive species in the United States, on a large oak tree. After spending hours attempting to remove the overwhelmingly thick invasive cover on the tree, they shared their experience on Reddit.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
“I spent my afternoon hacking away at this massive English Ivy vine(s) growing on an even more massive oak,” they said.
According to the poster, the ivy in some spots was more than four inches thick. When invasive vines cover trees in such massive mats, they essentially choke the trees and steal their sunlight, per Green Vista Tree Care.
Not only do they take resources from trees, but nonnative vines also overburden trees, potentially resulting in the breaking and falling of their natural victims. While this consequence is environmentally damaging, it can also harm people, property, and other nearby vegetation.
Native vines, on the other hand, work with trees in a healthy balance. According to Coohom, the roots of vines help stabilize and enrich the soil.
For this reason, the introduction of native vines in lawns, as well as the removal of invaders, can protect gardens and green spaces from becoming unhealthy, imbalanced ecosystems.
Some commenters on the Reddit post offered advice for future ivy removal. The original poster hacked at the vines at chest height, but others recommended hacking closer to the bottom of the tree.
“Wouldn’t cutting the Ivy at chest height leave the parts around the base alive?” one commenter asked. “In any case, I applaud you for spending the effort attacking the Ivy in the first place.”
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In response, the original poster said, “My goal here was simply to kill off the vast majority of the vine that was beginning to out-compete the canopy of this tree.”
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