English Ivy- help us stop the invasion
English Ivy (Hedera Helix) was brought to Oregon in the mid-1800’s as a way to remind early settlers of home. What started out as an innocent plan has come to represent one of the toughest problems Portland’s natural areas face today. It now invades more and more of our parks and will ultimately destroy our cherished tree canopy unless we remove it now. By allowing ivy to grow unchecked it will climb trees where it will mature, produce seeds, and continue the “seeds of destruction” by being transported by non-native birds.
English ivy damages trees by competing for nutrients and water fromthe soil, eventually becoming so heavy it can cause trees to fall. It invades the integrity of the trees’ bark making it more likely to die. Ivy chokes out native plants and will make nature uninhabitable for our wildlife. Contrary to popular beliefs, its shallow root system contributes to soil erosion. Just look up into some of our mature trees in Southwest Portland, and you will see the “growing” problem. Ivy is listed on Oregon’s noxious weed list. In Oregon, English Ivy cannot be imported, exported, propagated, retailed, or wholesaled. It is prohibited from being planted in all new landscape projects. It is now against Oregon law to sell ivy.
What can an individual person or group do to save Portland’s trees, encourage native wildlife to thrive, and offer a more pleasing landscape?
-Remove the Ivy on your property, then..or in addition…. Help Friends of Terwilliger remove Ivy from this linear park
You can help Friends of Terwilliger by joining us on the 3rd Saturday of each month for our monthly Ivy Removal Work Parties. We meet at the public toilets on the corner of SW Hamilton St and SW Terwilliger Blvd. Check in at 0845. Look for the “volunteer Ivy Removal Project” sign. We work 0900 to 12:00.Please dress for the weather, wear long pants and long sleeved shirts. We’ll provide the tools, gloves, and the Know-How to get the job done! We look forward to seeing you out on Terwilliger Parkway.
—————————— Remaining Work party dates for 2017 are:————————————————————
September 16th
October 21st
November 16th
December 16th