New member - Silver Birch tree question

I have a number of very mature Silver Birch trees in my garden. One is positioned where there is a ground cover of dense ivy which now completely covers the trunk of one Silver Birch to a height of around 18-20ft. It started to creep up the trunk from ground level and has risen 4-6 ft annually. My question - is this likely to cause damage to the tree? I'm concerned that, in spite of the ivy cover looking very attractive, it could result in suffocating a precious tree. Any advice will be most welcome and much appreciated. Thank you.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Ian.

Although ivy is unlikely to damage the trunk of the tree, if it's allowed to grow into the canopy that's where the damage will be done by strangling and deforming branches. It will also eventually cover the canopy. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to remove.

 

Sheal. Thank you for taking the time to respond - much appreciated. I will certainly terminate the rapid upwards spread at a manageable height to avoid suffocating the canopy area. . . I like my Silver Birch too much to risk losing one.

 

You're welcome Ian.