• Mist rising of the river at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

    Chattahoochee River

    National Recreation Area Georgia

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  • Rising River Waters Can Kill!

    Watch for rapidly rising river levels on the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. Water released from dams and heavy rain can turn a day on the river into a tragedy! More »

  • Call for Water Release Schedule

    With colder temperatures you can expect longer and more frequent water releases. For water release schedule info, call 1-855-DAM-FLOW (1-855-326-3569) for Buford Dam and 404-329-1455 for Morgan Falls Dam. Save numbers to your cell! More »

English Ivy

English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

English Ivy (Hedera helix) is an evergreen vine that can climb to 90 feet by clinging roots to encase trees and form dense ground cover. It has thick dark green leaves that are heart shaped with three to five pointed lobes when juvenile and later becomes lanceolate lacking lobes. Climbing mature plants have terminal flower clusters in summer that yield dark purple berries in winter and spring. Spread by bird-dispersed seeds, and colonize by trailing and climbing vines that root at nodes. English ivy rarely produces fertile seeds along the Gulf Coast. Still widely produced, sold and planted as ornamentals.

Management Strategies

  • DO NOT PLANT ENGLISH IVY. Remove prior plantings, and control sprouts and seedlings. Bag and dispose of plants and fruit in a dumpster or burn.
  • Treat when new plants are young to prevent seed formation.
  • Pull, cut and treat when fruit are not present (take measures to avoid rashes that can develop from skin contact).
  • Repeated cutting and mowing to groundlline commonly recommended for control of young infestations.

Did You Know?

Rock overhang at Island Ford - Photo by Matt Harr

Prehistoric people would shelter under the large rock overhangs found along the Chattahoochee River. Indian village sites once flourished along this rich corridor of fertile soils.