Ivy
Removal

The real risks of ivy — and how to remove it correctly

Ivy Removal
From Trees & Buildings

Ivy on trees — the real risks

The question of ivy and trees is more nuanced than most people assume. Common ivy (Hedera helix) is not a parasite — it does not draw nutrients or water from the tree it climbs. A healthy, vigorous tree can support significant ivy growth without the ivy directly threatening its survival. For this reason, ivy on trees is not, in itself, automatically a problem.

However, there are two significant practical concerns with heavy ivy growth on trees. First, dense ivy covering the trunk and crown significantly increases the sail area of the tree in winter, when deciduous trees have shed their leaves but the ivy remains in full evergreen leaf. This can substantially increase the wind-loading on the tree and its root system, raising the risk of windthrow in exposed or storm conditions.

Second, and more importantly for the management of TPO and significant trees, dense ivy makes proper condition assessment almost impossible. Decay, structural defects, cavity formation and pest damage on the trunk and lower scaffold branches are hidden beneath the ivy growth. For any tree where regular condition inspection is required — a TPO tree, a large garden oak, a tree in a public space — ivy on the trunk should be removed to allow proper assessment.

Ivy on walls and buildings

Ivy on buildings is a more straightforward risk assessment. The adhesive rootlets that ivy uses to climb secrete a bonding compound that attaches to masonry, mortar and stonework. On sound, well-maintained masonry this causes relatively little damage — the ivy can even provide thermal insulation and reduce moisture penetration in some situations.

On older buildings, listed buildings or walls with ageing mortar, the picture is different. Ivy rootlets penetrate existing cracks and voids in the mortar, and the expanding stems can lever apart pointing and stonework as they thicken over years. Removing established ivy from old masonry requires care — pulling the stems off without cutting them first can remove sections of mortar or facing stone with the rootlets. The correct technique is to cut the stems at the base first, allow the ivy to die back, and then remove the dead material carefully.

The ecological dimension

Before removing ivy, it is worth considering its ecological value. Ivy provides late-season nectar and berries for bees, hoverflies and birds, and its dense growth provides nest sites and winter shelter for a variety of species. In practice, most ivy removal is selective — removing it from the trunk and lower scaffold of a tree, for example, while leaving it undisturbed on the ground around the base. We advise on a proportionate approach at the site visit.

Ivy and bat roosts

Dense ivy growth on trees and buildings can provide habitat for bats, particularly the common pipistrelle. If the ivy to be removed is on a structure that could support bat roosts — a mature tree or an older building — we carry out a preliminary bat roost assessment before any removal. Bat roosts are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and work that disturbs or destroys them requires a licence.

Coverage

Ivy removal across Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset, Hampshire and south Wiltshire.