Re-thinking English Ivy

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Umgowa Roswell, GA Apr 10, 2009

I have a nice long walk-way that leads up to my front door. Along the walk-way on both sides I have camellias and euonymus shrubs. I also have English ivy planted along each side of the walk covering the ground surrounding the shrubs. I love the way the ivy looks. The problem is that the ivy is very aggressive and totally consumes the shrubbery unless I watch it closely and trim it regularly. I'm guessing that the ivy also prevents much needed water from getting to the roots of the shrubs . . . acting as an umbrella spilling it away. I am tempted to bite the bullet and forget how much I like the look of the stuff and pull up all the ivy and replace it with pine straw. I'm new at landscaping, but I wonder if there is some known rule that Ivy and shrubs do not mix well together. Is pine straw the default way to go in situations like this?

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Smokey_SC Piedmont, SC(Zone 7b) Apr 10, 2009

The rule with ivy is don't let it near anything you don't want it to climb. Never plant close to any structure, house, garage, storage building, etc. It can grow through small cracks into walls and into attics. I feel the same way you do, I think it is very pretty. My DSIL had it growing on the back of her house and we took it all down. It took a very, very long time to get it off. It was terrible.
No, you don't have to just use pine straw. You can use mulch or small stones. I use mulch but my DS swears by pine straw. Use what you like. There are no set rules for what you put on the ground. You could just use crushed leaves, the choice is yours. Smokey

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Apr 10, 2009

There are other groundcovers that aren't as aggressive as ivy if you like the idea of something alive and green. Personally I hate ivy, I can't count the number of hours I spent at my old house trying to rip it out of the garden!

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NatureLover1950 Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a) Apr 11, 2009

I'm using creeping phlox as a living mulch and it's working very well. It's growing around my azaleas and other plants without crowding them out. It's beautiful right now in full bloom but still looks nice the rest of the year (it's semi-evergreen down here). Stepables offers lots of other ground covers you might want to look at too. I like living mulch because, in the long run, it's so much cheaper since you don't have to keep replacing it like you do mulch.

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jenniferwoodga Cumming, GA(Zone 7b) Apr 12, 2009

Since I've just spent the past two days cutting and digging and pulling up english ivy (bane of my existence), I am loathe to suggest it to anyone. It's terribly inconvenient to get out once it's established. I love the look of pine straw, or even creeping phlox, which is easier to manage.

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