REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. -- The Rehoboth Beach Trees & Green Infrastructure is recommending neighbors - especially those living in the north end of the city - to remove English ivy growing on their land.
According to City Arborist Liz Lingo, the invasive plant can choke tree trunks, weigh branches down, and displace valuable native plants. The city previously removed ivy in Central and Deer Parks, and now they're hoping property will take the same steps.
"We recommend you cut it at about shoulder height, usually with a handsaw, and you have to be very careful not to dig into the tree's bark, the trunk of the tree," says Lingo. "Then you also cut it down at grade, at the soil level."
Property owners like Michael Reamy have dealt with the invasive plant for years. He says he doesn't mind the extra effort to eradicate.
"It's prevalent especially in this neighborhood, in this part of town," says Reamy. "If your neighbor has it, you have it. It really doesn't have benefits, and I'd like get rid of it."
Pauline Scalvino lives on Henlopen Ave. She says the ivy may look beautiful to some, but the problems it brings aren't worth it.
"We have a lot of really big trees and anything that could risk them falling, especially with heavy winds or storms or anything like that, I'm all for getting rid of it," says Scalvino.