Does ivy kill trees?

IVY

Eidhneán

Hedera helix

This question was asked at the CTT AGM recently. And here's the answer well worth sharing:

Ivy uses trees and walls for support, allowing it to reach upwards to better levels of sunlight. It is not a parasitic plant and has a separate root system in the soil and so absorbs its own nutrients and water as needed. Ivy does not damage trees and its presence doesn’t indicate that a tree is unhealthy.

source: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/UK Wildlife Trust post - a very accessible and informative read!

You can also check out the Irish Wildlife Trust post regarding ivy: https://iwt.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Ivy.pdf

or this Irish Times article again explains why ivy is a misunderstood plant :

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/give-ivy-a-break-it-s-a-sanctuary-for-beleaguered-wildlife-1.3802920

Far from killing trees, this important plant supports an abundance of wildlife so it has great value from a biodiversity point of view. Prune sparingly, if you must!