DELEGATE PAUL KRIZEK STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN’S VETO OF BILL AUTHORIZING LOCALITIES TO PROHIBIT SALE OF ENGLISH IVY

MOUNT VERNON, Va. -  Today, Delegate Paul Krizek released the following statement regarding Governor Youngkin’s veto of House Bill 1167, which would authorize any locality to adopt an ordinance to prohibit the sale of English Ivy (Hedera helix) within its jurisdiction. 

“I am very disappointed that the Governor saw fit to not just veto this bipartisan legislation but to make it one of his first vetoes. This bill would not have stopped English Ivy, but it would have allowed local governments to have the option to ban its sale and thus educate people about its harm to the environment as one of the worst invasive plants still being sold. Legislation to combat English Ivy is consistently requested by my constituents each year, many of whom volunteer to help cleanup and eradicate this plant from our natural areas.”

The Virginia Invasive Plant Species List produced by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Natural Heritage Program includes English Ivy. To be included on the list, there must be demonstrable evidence that a species poses a threat to Virginia’s forests, native grasslands, wetlands or waterways. 

As an invasive species, English Ivy covers the forest floor, excluding tree seedlings and understory plants from nutrients. It can climb trees up to 90 feet, where it blocks photosynthesis and weighs the tree down, and is host for bacterial leaf scorch. As such, English Ivy is a major killer of trees in Virginia. It is the culprit of infrastructure damage to buildings and powerlines, and leaves dangerous roadway debris as tree limbs collapse under the weight of the ivy. Ivy quickly spreads from private plantings into natural areas through bird droppings and is expensive to control and remove, costing localities and landowners millions of dollars. 

Educational resources on the benefits of native plant species and landscaping based on your region are available online at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation website and through the Value of Native Plants in Virginia brochure produced by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Virginia Native Plant Society manages a list of Virginia nurseries that do not sell invasive species. You can find one to visit in your area here: https://vnps.org/native-plant-nursery-list/

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