Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Lierre Grimpant

Our yard is full of these vines. I think they were planted as a ground cover beneath a big pine tree at one point, but they've migrated to different parts of the yard. And the problem we have with them is that they climb up our trees.

Lierre grimpant, or climbing English ivy, on a birch tree.

Every spring now we have to go around and try to cut them off at ground level so that they don't get too far up the tree trunks. They really get a hold on the bark of the apples and birches and they're a pain to pull off.

The French Wikipedia site notes two common names for hedera helix: herbe de saint Jean (St. John's herb) and bourreau des arbres (tree executioner). Yikes!

With a name like that second one, I'm pretty sure it would not be good to let them cover the trees, so off they must come!
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous20 February, 2008 20:25

    Apart from the eclipse, there may be something else going on in the "firmament". The US military is planning to shoot down the spy satellite USA193 early tomorrow morning.

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  2. Claude21 February, 2008 02:05

    You have warm rain...and the French laundry is still on the line.
    Just kidding!

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  3. wcs21 February, 2008 08:28

    beaver, I've been reading about that. In fact, on Wed. evening, it passed right over our heads (there are satellite tracking sites on the internet)!

    claudia, that French laundry isn't ours...

    By the way, that's a little northern California humor. The French Laundry is a Napa Valley restaurant operated by Thomas Keller.

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  4. Claude21 February, 2008 15:44

    Walt, I knew it wasn't your laundry. Les pinces à linge weren't beautiful as the ones you posted previously!

    Going to different blogs in different countries, and talking to complete strangers, I say the most incongruous things sometimes because I don't always understand the culture and the background. My attempts at humour fail miserably more often than once. Why do I persist?

    Well...I'm old, and French, and having fun, and hope nobody gets offended.

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