Hi, 

This sounds like a great project! You may want to contact a professional for advice on how to construct the flat areas so they will know how to properly stabilize the slope. They may talk about different terraces to cut into the hill to give you some level areas. You can seek out one in your area at the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals webpage. You could look under the conservation landscaping tab. They will also be able to provide you with guidance on removal of the invasives, soil retention and how to avoid erosion, and advice with native plants. 

In terms of removing the invasives or having other plants out compete them, some plants can achieve this but in the case of English Ivy, you will definitely want to remove that first because nothing will be able to outcompete it. Any small piece of root that is left will regrow. You may want to consider using a systemic herbicide to spray on it to dissolve the roots. Various herbicides behave differently in the soil as they break down. Glyphosate is one that will translocate through the plant and move down into the roots to break them down, then it binds to the soil and eventually breaks down with half life time. Triclopyr is another common systemic herbicide that does the same but is more water soluble and does not bind to the soil. Others (dicamba) will damage trees as they move through the soil and the tree roots can take them up through their nutrients and water exchange systems. English Ivy also has a waxy leaf coating that is difficult to penetrate so you would need to apply with a surfactant or spreader sticker to help break through that barrier. 

If you do not want to use chemicals to remove it, you will have to hand pull and just keep doing it as it returns. Even after planting it could easily grow again from a piece of root that is left in the soil, so you will want to stay on top of any new shoots that emerge. Another option to reduce the use of how many chemicals you would need to remove it, is to cut and pull the ivy and as it returns then spray those pieces as they come back. There is a helpful video on how to remove English Ivy by one of our master gardener coordinators that you can check out. 

In terms of stabilizing the soil so it doesn't erode with the removal, there are a few ways you could approach this. You could work in sections with the ivy, removing areas at a time and using a type of erosion cloth to pin to the hill and plant into. There are biodegradable products for this that you can find in an online search. Something like burlap works. Or you could choose to remove all the ivy - or as much as possible and cover the whole slope with the cloth and plant into that. Regardless though, you want to wait a little before planting to make sure it isn't returning with a vengeance. 

You can start to explore different plant options on our page for Native Plants for Shady Slopes. Another great sources is the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. You can put in your site conditions and see the plants that are recommended for those areas. Regardless of the plants you choose, you will probably want to start with small plant sizes or root balls to fit around the existing tree roots that most likely travel down the hill. You can search for small containers or seek out plugs of herbaceous material. Typically plugs will come by the flat or tray in multiple quantities of 25, 50, or 100. They are great at covering a large area, but you just need to be sure you have a hose and sprinkler to keep them watered as they get established. This could be daily if you are planting in the heat of the summer.

Using arborist wood chips is an option to help keep the soil and root areas moist and will also help to stop erosion. You can sign up for a wood chip delivery which is often free or low cost by searching online for arborist wood chips. 

Before you get started on planting though, it would be a good idea to have a laboratory soil test done. The link will list different labs you could choose from and the process of how to take a sample and send it in. This will give you a good idea of the nutrients in the soil, pH level and any adjustments that may be needed for your plants to thrive, or just choosing the best plants for that location. 

Lastly here is a list of some native and non native (but not invasive) plants that you could consider: 

• several species of Eupatorium...essentially any that aren't Joe-Pye Weed (which is certainly aggressive enough, just not very shade-tolerant), including:

• Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum, formerly named Eupatorium coelestinum)

• Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

• Late-flowering Thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum)

• White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata, formerly named Aster divaricatus) and Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium, formerly named Aster cordifolius)

• River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

• Hayscented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

• Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)

• Eastern Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)

• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

• Witherod Viburnum (Viburnum nudum), Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), and Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)

• Alternate-leaved Dogwood, also named Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum) and Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

• many species of Sedge (Carex)

• many species of Violet (Viola)

• Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) and Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

• Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

• Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

• Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) - small tree, but one which can sucker abundantly over time

• Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

• Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

• Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) - native; evergreen; can be slow to spread; ground-hugging, so needs to be given space to sprawl and remain visible

• Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) - native; more of a very short but creeping shrub, and can produce edible berries as well

• Coral Bells (Heuchera americana) - native; somewhat evergreen

• Green-and-Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) - native

• Pussytoes (Antennaria) - several species are native

• Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) - native; you could try it again...maybe it wasn't kept moist enough during establishment unless deer or rabbits ate it

• Wild Bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia) - native

• Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) - native

• Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) - native and somewhat evergreen

• River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) - native and one of the only true grasses to tolerate a fair amount of shade

• Sedge (Carex) - multiple species, both native and non-native; usually evergreen

• Barrenwort (Epimedium)

• Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon) - evergreen; fairly slow to spread

• Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Here are some additional plant lists and sites to explore: 

• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• Native Plants of Maryland

• Native Plants for Northern Virginia (still applicable here)

Emily