Frequently asked questions

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What is this?

This site is a personal tool for tracking my efforts to identify residential trees in Baltimore that are being overtaken by English or other ivy, and to remove it. It builds on a history of other volunteer efforts in the city (see Credits below) and is complementary to Tree Baltimore's Weed Warriors certification program.

The project's main focus is the editable map and tracking system. Volunteers (currently only myself) can use it to track affected trees, generate a form to send to homeowners, record permission to remove it, and document all removal work with photos. I built it for myself after noticing many trees ruined by ivy when biking around the city. But I also built it with the hopes that other people might join.

What is your removal process?

This project tracks the following steps:

1. Initial capture. I capture a geo-tagged photo of the tree and add it to the database, where it is marked with status OPEN tickets.

• Permission. For trees on private property, I print a notice with a QR code which tells the homeowner how to remove the ivy, or how to give us permission to do so. If permission is granted, a tree moves to READY status.
• Removal. The ivy is removed and marked as RESOLVED.
• Followup. Some time after the vine has been cut, I captures a photo to document the vine's death.

How does this relate to Tree Baltimore?

Tree Baltimore has been encouraging Baltimore residents to remove invasive vines from trees for some time, especially through its Weed Warriors certification program and public educational materials. Those resources are the best starting point for learning safe removal practices and for understanding when volunteers are allowed to work on public land. This is a private tracking effort that fits within their larger, longer-standing effort.

Tree Baltimore has resources to become a certified Weed Warrior, which can allow trained volunteers to remove ivy from public land, and also has a nice instructional video.

Why do trees matter?

Mature trees are one of Baltimore’s most valuable assets. They provide natural beauty, shade, cooling, stormwater benefits, and habitat for local wildlife. For example, according to Doug Tallamy, an entomologist and conservation biologist at the University of Delaware, a single oak tree can support over 500 species of caterpillars, which in turn feed birds and other wildlife. Furthermore, their presence is a visible sign that a house, street, or neighborhood is cared for. Large trees provide especially immense benefits and cannot be quickly replaced.

As the proverb goes, “A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they shall never sit.” The same spirit supports the preservation of such trees.

What is English ivy?

English ivy is an evergreen woody vine. It spreads along the ground by runners and can climb trees, fences, walls, and other vertical surfaces. Once it climbs high enough into the light, it can mature, flower, and produce berries, which are spread by birds.

Why does ivy need to be removed from trees?

English ivy harms trees in several ways:

• It adds weight to trunks and branches, making trees more vulnerable to wind, snow, ice, and storm damage.
• It competes with the tree for light, water, and space.
• It can hide decay, wounds, pests, and structural problems.
• When it grows into the canopy, it can shade the tree’s own leaves.

Over time, heavy ivy can contribute to the decline or death of even large trees.

Removing ivy from a tree does not require removing every ivy plant in the yard. The most urgent step is to cut the climbing vines at the base, which removes the threat.

Is ivy always bad?

English ivy may look green and tidy as groundcover, but in our region it is invasive and difficult to control. It can escape yards, spread into parks and natural areas, suppress native plants, and climb more trees. For Baltimore trees, the problem is not that ivy exists somewhere on the property; the problem is ivy climbing into trunks and canopies.

How do you remove ivy from a tree?

We do not rip ivy down from the tree. Pulling can tear bark and injure the tree.

The basic process is:

1. Find every ivy stem climbing the trunk.
2. Cut each stem near the base of the tree.
3. Make a second cut higher up and remove a section of vine, usually about one foot long.
4. Check the full circumference of the trunk so no vine remains connected from the roots to the canopy.
5. Leave the upper vines in place. Cut off from their roots, they will die, dry out, and loosen over time.

When practical, dead vines can be pulled or cut from the tree. The rooted ivy can also be pulled back several feet from the root of the tree, to slow a renewed climb.

For most trees, this can be done with hand pruners, loppers, gloves, and a small hand saw. Thick older vines may require careful prying or a hand tool, but it is important that the tree’s bark not be cut.

Why do you leave the dead ivy in the tree?

Because removing it can damage the tree. Ivy attaches tightly to bark. Once the vines are cut, the upper growth will die and eventually fall away on its own. This can take months, and thick old vines may remain visible for longer, but the important step is cutting the connection to the roots.

What will the tree look like afterward?

Browse our list of resolved trees.

Do you use herbicides?

No.

Do you remove ivy from private property?

Only with permission.

What about trees in parks, alleys, medians, or public rights-of-way?

This requires permission from the city, which can be obtained by passing the Tree Baltimore Weed Warriors certification program. I do not yet have this certifcation but am working on it.

Can I report a tree?

To keep the work manageable, reporting is limited to registered contributors. In the future, we may add a way for neighbors to submit photos without having a contributor account.

Can I volunteer?

Yes. This is a personal project, but it is built with the idea that other people might join. Please send an email if you want to help add trees, contact property owners, remove ivy, or document followup photos. I would especially welcome people with the Tree Baltimore Weed Warriors certification! I also think it's just fun to track the progress of removal and have the historical record.

Credits

Trees naturally merit the awe, attention, and appreciation of any person with the correct orientation to the natural world. My own has been heightend by the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

My initial inspiration to take action must have come from Councilman Ryan Dorsey's 2020-era efforts removing ivy on Twitter.