Sometimes There’s a Downside to Being Green

Dock Tales Part 13 • View series

I was at first enchanted by English ivy that covered my forest. Little did I know. Charming, yes, but ivy was killing my tall hardwoods like a boa constrictor.

I called three goat-herders, but ivy can sour some goats’ digestion. The third referred me to Raven Sterling, an Asheville invasive vines warrior.

For the next three years, Raven’s crew hacked vines off acres of trees. She believes ivy was introduced to America at Biltmore House by Frederick Law Olmsted. One day she exited my forested, pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. “I found the thickest vine ever,” she said.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies