TIL my go-to house plant was actually on the invasive species list

I was reading a gardening forum last night and found out that my English ivy I've had for 3 years is classified as invasive in my county in Ohio. Apparently it can climb up trees and choke them out, plus it spreads through bird droppings. I had no idea I was basically a botanical villain. Has anyone else accidentally hosted a plant that's banned somewhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_adams666d ago

Oh man, I've been there. Found out my pretty vinca vine was actually running wild in a nearby nature preserve and I felt terrible. Best thing I did was switch it to a hanging basket only and make sure I clip off any berries before birds can get them. You can also try container gardening with a saucer underneath to catch any runners that try to escape. Just keep it away from trees and your house foundation and you should be fine managing it.

rileynelson6d ago

Blamed myself for years after realizing the mint I planted in my garden bed was basically a hostile takeover of my entire yard. Now I just grow it in a pot on the porch so it can gossip with the other plants about all the invasive drama. At least English ivy sounds fancy when it's destroying local ecosystems instead of my neighbor's prize petunias. I figure as long as I keep my invasive plants contained to a container, I'm just a reformed botanical criminal with good intentions. The birds are probably telling each other about my little surveillance operation now.