Ivy - friend or foe

[John Paul Sanborn]

so then once the tree crosses the line you own that too, which was my original point

Not that simple; it is in joint ownership, so both parties may have responsibility towards preservation. If radical trimming causes the tree do die, it leaves the other party with at least a financial liability. If the tree work creates a defect that causes property damage or bodily injury then the practitioner and the client have been held liable.

I heard of one case where the work caused a defect where a reasonable person could assume there was a greatly elevated risk of failure and the courts required the practitioner to finish removal at his own cost. My recollection is to the effect that he had no proof that he told the client that the treatment could cause the tree to fail.

These cases are few and far between, but one should be aware of them.

I have a staged removal of a massive willow that I always offered to remove the entire tree each year. It is 1/3 to 1/2 done and the client is selling the house now. I'm mildly concerned that the new owners may want me to do something for nothing since I am the knowledgeable party.

 

[mckeetree]

These cases are few and far between, but one should be aware of them.



Yep. Few and far, far between.

 

[treeseer]

so then once the tree crosses the line you own that too, which was my original point

True, but you have no right to damage or destroy your neighbor's property in their part of the tree.
When in doubt, try Kant's categorical imperative aka the Golden Rule.

These cases are not all that rare; I've had a dozen at least.

 

[John D]

True, but you have no right to damage or destroy your neighbor's property in their part of the tree.
When in doubt, try Kant's categorical imperative aka the Golden Rule.

These cases are not all that rare; I've had a dozen at least.

Ivy is a threat to humans and pets who go near it,I get poison ivy anytime im near it doing yar work.I'd remove it at the property line ,dont tell me a judge would rule against you removing there ivy from your yard esp considering it is a risk to you ,and presents no benefit to either party.

 

[asthesun]

Ivy is a threat to humans and pets who go near it,I get poison ivy anytime im near it doing yar work.I'd remove it at the property line ,dont tell me a judge would rule against you removing there ivy from your yard esp considering it is a risk to you ,and presents no benefit to either party.

didnt he say it was ivy, not poison ivy specifically? its kind of vague but i assumed it wasnt poison since, i mean, who wouldnt want poison ivy removed?

 

[flyyup]

Well personally I have no love for Ivy.

However, let me pull a couple of quotes for you:

"English ivy and its close cousin Atlantic or Irish ivy are well-known European vines that have been widely used in North America landscapes. Because this type of vine is evergreen and well-adapted to the mild Pacific Northwest climate, it grows all year round in western Washington and can out-compete many other plant species. This aggressively spreading vine can cover everything in its reach and has no natural checks and balances to keep it under control.


In the understory of forests, English ivy spreads over the ground and crowds out native wildflowers, ferns and tree seedlings. Ivy mats often host pest animals such as the Norway rat. Also, because ivy roots are shallow, thick mats covering hillsides can increase problems with slope failure as water runs down under the ivy and entire mats of ivy and soil slide downhill. On walls and fences, ivy rootlets work into the wood and mortar and can cause structural and aethestic damage.

When English ivy is allowed to grow up tree trunks it can increase the risk of the trees being blown over in windstorms because of its large mass and “sail effect” of the vines in the canopy. Tree bark is more likely to have disease and rot problems and the tree health can be damaged by reduced access to light when the vines cover the tree’s branches. Although ivy won’t directly poison the tree, it will most likely harm the tree’s health and increase the chance of it becoming a hazard tree."

"Ivy kills deciduous trees within 20 years of climbing the tree!"

Personally I would try and protect the tree. But you need to discuss with your neighbour.


As for tree company, sorry, no idea.

 

[Marley5]

I know this is a very old thread but good timing.
Just yesterday I replaced facial boards and guttering for an old friend that vines completely destroyed.
Infact the entire front of this house needs major repair.

 

[English Al]

This might be a very old thread, but ivy is a perennial problem...

I loathe the stuff!

Three things I learnt about ivy very soon after starting in tree work:

1. Take great care not to underquote for a job on an ivy-covered tree.

2. Clear the ivy well up the trunk on a tree you are going to fell and take special care that there are not broken branches hidden and hung up in the crown.

3. The easiest way to clear ivy off a trunk section on the ground is to cut straight along the whole length of the log and then it will peel off.


A good few years ago we got involved with a job that required our bucket truck. An old stone house had a big bulge in the end wall which needed a patch taking down and rebuilding. We shored up the wall either side of the bulge and the brickie duly opened up the bulge, which revealed the cause. An ivy stem (more of a trunk, really) had grown up between the two skins of the wall and had pushed the outer one away. It must have happened many years earlier as there was no evidence of ivy on the outside of the wall at all.

My favourite ivy story concerns her Late Majesty Queen Mary who had a particular hatred of the plant. One day in the 1930s when being driven through the Sandringham estate she spotted a worker's cottage heavily clad in ivy. She instructed her chauffeur to get the estate manager to send some men round to strip it off, which they duly did.
The cottage fell down.