aerial view of Western's campus at night, with golden lights surrounded by dark trees

One Quick Question: Ivy got banned: what’s the gripe with this grippy greenery?

Over the summer, Washington state banned the sale and distribution of ivy. We get into the weeds with LEAD Co-Director Beau Jay for the backstory on the ban

by Jennifer Nerad

University Communications

LEAD volunteers have removed tons of ivy and other invasive plants from campus over the years

This year, Washington state became the second state in the nation (behind Oregon) to ban the sale and distribution of English (also known as common ivy) and Atlantic ivy.  

We caught up with Beau Jay, a graduate student in the Environmental Studies department and the co-director of the Learning, Environment, Action, and Discovery (LEAD) program in the College of the Environment at Western Washington University, to learn more about the creeping, clinging, tenacious vine.

Q: Why is ivy so troublesome that it had to be banned?  

A: Ecological restoration organizations, like LEAD and the Ecological Restoration Club here at Western, are celebrating this ban on the distribution of ivy. Why? Well, ivy is a fast-spreading, difficult-to-remove class C noxious weed in Washington state, and an invasive, non-native species in the U.S.

Ivy was removed from WWU’s Old Main in 2003 because it was damaging the building. Photo: Old Main, circa 1950. Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections.

English Ivy was brought to the U.S. by European colonists in the early 1700s. It is the beautiful vine plant that can be seen trying to cover the ground and climb buildings like Old Main here on campus, as well many buildings at universities across the country, inspiring the term “Ivy League.”  

Although ivy is popular for its evergreen, low-maintenance qualities, it has become a widespread invasive plant, outcompeting native species and altering ecosystems. One of the most concerning ways English ivy outcompetes our native plants is how it climbs trees, enveloping the trunks in thick, strong roots that take hold of the trees, essentially choking them.    

English ivy is an evergreen vine that grows tiny rootlets to help it get a footing as it climbs. If it climbs trees — which it will do gladly — it can kill the tree by shading it out and even act as a wind sail to bring down a weakened tree.

Ivy is not easy to remove due to its strong, thick roots that run deep underground and the way it attaches itself to trees and buildings. The most effective way to remove English ivy is to first cut the vines around the base of a tree or structure to create a ring to kill the upper growth, then dig out the roots underground before the ivy can re-establish itself. We do our best to dig out as much of the root systems as possible, then lay down mulch to suppress growth by blocking out sunlight.  

The LEAD program was established in 1993, so I have no way of knowing exactly how much ivy we’ve removed. In my time as co-director, we’ve removed almost a ton or so of ivy and other invasives from our restoration sites on campus. In one year! So, in the last 32 years, I would assume we’ve removed multiple tons of the invasive noxious weed.  

Want to help? Both LEAD and the Ecological Restoration Club host weekly work parties right here on campus! If you can’t join us on campus, get involved with a community organization. 

Every invasive plant you pull, and native species you plant, makes a difference. Getting involved in these work parties will also give you a sense of climate hope and agency, which is something we all need right now. I hope to see you all at some of our work parties!  

 

Learning Environment Action Discovery (LEAD) is a student-run restoration program housed in the College of the Environment that focuses on the eradication of invasive species like ivy and Himalayan blackberry on Western’s campus, as well as replacing them with native plants

Jennifer Nerad covers Western's College of the Environment and College of Business and Economics for the Office of University Communications. Have a great story idea? Reach out to her at neradj@wwu.edu.