English Ivy is an invasive vine that spreads (by seed that birds distribute) into woodlands, where mature vines that cling to tree trunks can damage the tree and eventually contribute to its premature demise. It can also harbor an infection called Bacterial Leaf Scorch, which can infect oaks, maples, and elms, and which is not curable. Removal efforts focus on both severing the vine's connection to the ground (cutting a section out of the stems climbing the trunk) and by removing ground-covering stems of the ivy on the soil surface. After being cut from its roots, the parts of the ivy climbing the tree will die off on its own, because the root-like holdfasts that attach it to the bark are not able to absorb water and nutrients from the tree itself, so gradually the foliage will starve, dry out, and turn brown and die. It will fall off of the tree in due time and should not be forcibly pulled off, as that could injure the bark and threaten tree health.

All ivy on the ground can be physically pulled/dug out, or carefully treated with systemic herbicide that will kill the roots. More than one herbicide application might be needed if it regrows, but one way to reduce the total amount of chemical used is to remove as much of the ivy growth as possible first, then treat what resprouts while it is still small. More removal tips can be found in the page linked above and the other pages it connects to at the bottom of the article.

Miri