vines and stop signInvasive vines growing up electric polesThree of the most prolific invasive vines harming trees in Westchester County are Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), and English ivy (Hedera helix). While these destructive non-native vines are highly visible hanging from trees along our parkways, these silent killers can also invade your yard and destroy your trees. Oriental bittersweet and porcelain berry vines can quickly engulf and strangle trees, becoming thicker and woodier with age. They weaken a tree by blanketing the tree’s own leaves, thereby blocking needed sunlight, and ultimately kill the tree. English ivy is a non-native, invasive evergreen vine that has been widely planted in gardens as a ground cover. Unfortunately, this vine quickly grows up tree trunks, damaging the bark, weakening the branches, blocking sunlight, and killing the tree.

When removing these vines from your trees, take special care not to touch poison ivy, mistaking it for one of these vines, because contact with poison ivy can cause severe rashes. If you are unsure, contact a professional. Below is a well- illustrated guide to help you distinguish invasive plants from their native look-alikes, like poison ivy, which actually is a native source of berries for birds. (Mistaken Identity: Invasive Plants and Their Native Look-Alikes)

Refer to theCombating Invasive Species for detailed information on identifying each of these invasive vines and how to eradicate them.

Title: How to Identify and Remove English Ivy
Author/Source: Herndon Environmental Network
Description: Extremely informative six-minute video of an expert from the Herndon Environmental Network discussing why English ivy is considered a harmful invasive plant and how to remove it. She also gives a great demonstration using plastic straws and a piece of string to show how the vine kills trees.