Trouble with ivy

An ivy clad dry stone wall looks quaint, and it is tempting to think that the ivy affords some protection against the elements, but in fact it is a destroyer of walls!

When it gets a grip, it grows through the gaps in the wall and gradually takes over. Its roots will even find tiny fissures in stone and grow into them. The stems thicken and expand into gaps. Organic matter starts to accumulate and create soil. Add to that a dose of winter freeze-thaw to expand the moisture in those little cracks and the wall is under attack. The stones in these pictures were falling apart after years of ivy abuse.

Don’t let ivy get a grip!