(Conservation Currents,
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, March
2003)
Arlington County is out to get English ivy…
get rid of it, that is. Arlington’s Parks, Recreation,
and Community Resources Department has a two-pronged approach
to controlling this invasive plant that has contributed to the
destruction of tree canopy in that county.
The first approach is eradication.
Remove the English ivy where possible or manage its growth where
complete eradication is impractical. The second approach
is citizen education. Teach the public to identify it, understand
the damage it causes, remove it from personal property, and
choose less invasive groundcovers in its place.
While there are many invasive plants in Virginia,
Arlington County chose to focus its outreach program on English
Ivy. “It’s a big problem in an urban area because
people are still planting it,” said the park department’s
Steve Temmermand.
English ivy (Hedera helix) is an attractive
green plant that traditionally has been appreciated for its
rapid growth, its suppression of any other plant growth, and
its ease in cultivation. But these characteristics also are
the reasons why it is devastating to land areas populated by
native species.
English ivy is an aggressive, invasive,
introduced species with no natural controls in our ecosystem.
It spreads fast from its roots, vines, and seeds. The vines
shade out and replace the wildflowers, shrubs, and young trees
of the natural forest understory. The vines weaken trees by
keeping the bark damp and blocking sunlight. The vines eliminate
the diverse varieties of plants needed by birds and other wildlife
to provide food and shelter through each of the seasons.
Jan Ferrigan is a horticultural agent with
Virginia Cooperative Extension. Her position is funded by Arlington
County's parks department where she coordinates staff and volunteer
activities related to invasive species control. Ferrigan has
more than 100 volunteers spreading the word about invasives
and assisting with eradication.
Since July 2002, control efforts on county
parkland has exceeded 10 acres. In addition to English ivy,
the county is battling porcelain berry, kudzu, Japanese stiltgrass,
Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese knotweed. “Although
mechanical control seems to work on small patches, we have found
that the most efficient method of eradication for large areas
is spraying,” said Temmermand. “But we’re still
new at this.”
Temmermand said the program tries to go to
areas where it will have the most impact. “A heavily infested
20-acre park is too big for us to tackle with the resources
available. But in a six-acre park where one acre is infested,
we can make a difference.”
Much of what is done depends on where volunteers
are interested in working, according to Ferrigan. Many volunteers
want to remove invasive plants and help with monitoring in parks
close to their homes. "We try to encourage those efforts
by helping to organize volunteer events and backing up volunteer
work with staff work in the same areas," she said. br>
For people who won’t let go of their
English ivy, Ferrigan and her volunteers provide plenty of information
about controlling the ivy around trees so it doesn't creep up
and flower. “Generally, the plant must be at least six
years old AND six feet high before it flowers and produces seed,”
she said.
Temmerand is full of optimism about the public
response to the invasive control program. “We believe that
if you give people a choice between English ivy and a more environmentally
friendly plant, the people would be willing to pay a little
more to help the environment rather than harm it.”
Last fall, Arlington County proposed legislation
to declare English ivy a noxious weed in the State of Virginia.
Listing English ivy as a noxious weed would require the state
to regulate the sale and transport of it and allow local governments
to seek financial and technical assistance from the state in
eradicating it.
A bill sponsored by Senator Mary Margaret
Whipple was introduced in the Virginia General Assembly, referred
to committee, and then withdrawn by the sponsor. Later, Senator
Whipple introduced a related bill that was referred to committee
where it was tabled indefinitely.
Temmerand was disappointed but not disheartened.
“Even though our legislative proposal was not successful,
we did succeed in raising the issue in the public’s mind.”
To learn about volunteer opportunities in
Arlington’s Invasive Species Program, e-mail
Jan Ferrigan or call 703-228-7636.
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