Olympia – The sale of a common landscape plant is about to be banned in Washington state.
On July 9, the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced it was adding the English ivy, and its close relative Atlantic ivy, to its noxious weed quarantine. When the change goes into effect Aug. 9, the sale of the ivy varieties will no longer be legal in Washington.
Advocates argued to legislators that the banned varieties of ivy pose a threat to trees by climbing them and eventually depriving them of sunlight.
The plants have been popular additions to western Washington yards and parks as ground cover for generations before becoming widespread enough to pose a threat to the area’s trees in greenbelts and other wild areas, both private and public.
Washington is now the second state, after Oregon, to ban English ivy. By the way, the ban doesn’t impact ivy that’s already been planted, so no Ivy Police are going to show up at your house and tell you to rip up your landscaping.
You can find more information on how to identify and remove ivy on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board’s website at nwcb.wa.gov.