Poison ivy is not native here. Neither is English ivy. However, English ivy, Hedera helix, is an aggressively naturalized exotic species. Even after it had been designated as a voracious weed in the region, it was installed in some of the landscapes here many years ago. It is so common here now that we know it simply as the standard ‘ivy’. Algerian ivy was planted too, but it is not quite so aggressive.

1. English ivy grew up and over this abandoned building, and accelerated the deterioration of the old roof. It would be pointless to remove it now. The building will eventually be demolished.P00125-1

2. This building is not abandoned. No ivy was on this roof just a few days earlier. All this ivy did not grow up and over the building this aggressively since then, but fell from above. Surprise!P00125-2

3. The yellow pointer shows where the dead redwood trunk that supported all the ivy broke and dropped the whole mess onto the roof at the bottom of the picture. It is about thirty feet up!P00125-3

4. What a mess! This close up of the same broken dead redwood trunk shows another dead redwood trunk to the right, and a viable trunk with another dense ivy thicket in the background.P00125-4

5. Surprisingly, this is the worst of the damage. It was likely impaled by the rotten redwood trunk. The ivy likely stayed connected to the rest of the thicket long enough to slow the descent.P00125-5

6. Even after getting Ginsu with saws and shears, and getting bounce-house with debris, the pulpy redwood trunk and ivy was still a full load. That was a lot of weight to land on an old roof!P00125-6

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate:

https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

18 thoughts on “Six on Saturday: Poison Ivy”

    1. It is so established within the ecosystem here that it could not be eradicated. It grows wild in the forests. We do nothing to salvage it in landscaped areas, even if it happens to work nicely there. It has such a bad reputation.

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      2. Oh my! I had to look those up. That old world climbing fern is really weird! Bitter melon is something that I would like to grow here . . . I think.

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      4. I will not likely grow it just because there are so many other vegetables to grow, but the aroma would not stop me from doing so if I happen to procure some seed. It will not become invasive in the climate here.

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      6. Okay, when you put it that way, I’ll pass. Naturalized sorts are not likely garden varieties. I would like those like I get at the Chinese restaurant in town. Thank you though.

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    1. If only it were no so detrimental to the ecosystems here, I would not mind it so much. It is such a delightful ground cover. The problem is that it lives in the forests now, and climbs into even the redwoods.

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