AIBU to object to a neighbour growing ivy on our fence?

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Our neighbour has planted ivy up our boundary fence (owned by us) for the second time. They previously grew ivy up the fence, and we eventually replaced the fence as it was getting old and worn. The new fence now has ivy poking through on our side! It’s such an eye sore and really does look a mess.

What can I do here? Are they technically “allowed” to grow a climbing plant up a boundary owned by us? They are elderly but also very unreasonable hence why I haven’t approached them about it yet.

I love ivy and have planted a fair bit in my garden. Don’t get the hate for it but as it’s your fence they need to be more careful with planting options.

I really don't get how people can think ivy growing along with other plants is 'such a mess'. Plants in the wild don't grow neatly separated and spaced apart.
If you're worried about your roses, just keep an eye on it and cut it back when you need to. Although TBH it sounds like you can't bear to see even a tiny hint of it between the fence slats, which is a bit odd.

Paint the bits poking through, with weedkiller. Then be very surprised when it dies...

Gosh I must live on another planet. I think using a harmful pesticide just because a few sprigs of ivy poke through a fence, is completely unhinged!

Nuke the site from orbit, tis the only way to be sure.

Yes, this is accurate. Our shed wall is on our boundary line, and our neighbour wanted to paint/attach things to the wall on his side. We said no as we're legally liable for its upkeep, and adding s**t to it (that our er lovely neighbour won't look after) could cause damage that we'd then have to shell out for.

Legally, if it's on your land/boundary then the neighbour has zero rights to attach anything at all to it. So you could tell them to remove the trellis.

Please don't use weed killer though. Use the RHS alternative that someone posted upthread. The weed killers mentioned are horrific and won't just kill the ivy - they'll kill insect and bird life, even inadvertently.

I HATE ivy (after it totally destroyed one of our fences and sucked all the nutrients out of the soil, meaning nothing else would grow) but it's shitty to use weedkillers that are known to kill everything within sight.

Well I’ve learned something new! I thought it was the other way round, that you could cut it have to give them back.

More than a bit odd ... but then there are people on MN who are phobic about the sight of their own feet ...

I live on the same planet!

We've had the war of the ivy too - it was rooted in our garden but had grown up their house - they loved it, she wouldn't "allow" me to remove it from my side - said it had been there longer than we had. I told her that legally I had the right to remove it from my side - she said we don't need to resort to the law we know how to behave. I did remove it and she cried and said I wasn't very nice and now I have ivy growing through my fence - she's lucky I'm not bring out the Round Up! I don't like having rows with neighbour but when they are cheeky fuckers what choice do you have.

I wouldn't allow it and I say that as someone who accidently grew ivy on my neighbour's fence and in that freek wind we had a few years the weight of the ivy and the wind grip snapped the fence in two.

If its within their property they can do this. If it's on a trellis its not actually on your fence. You can cut back any bits crossing into your boundary.

You should also give them the cuttings if they want them

Unusually this AI summary is pretty accurate

I love ivy, I don’t really get why so many people are weird about it. It’s possible to manage it so it doesn’t cause damage. I have it growing in my garden, it looks beautiful and birds nest in it.

We all like different things don’t we - surely you get that?

Yeah - I found this out the hard way although my neighbours were lovely about it (I painted our side of their fence). When they replaced the fence they reminded me I wasn’t allowed, and that’s fair enough. It code them a fortune!

Ivy is good for wildlife yes, but it can cause a lot of damage to fences and spread in gardens. On that basis I would suggest you remind them it’s your fence and they shouldn’t be attaching a trellis to it, and then ask them to cut the ivy back hard. It’s probably too late to get rid of it in any event if it’s that big as very hard to dig it all out. We managed it in a central garden bed but took a long time.

no you have to offer it back. If they refuse then its your responsibility to dispose of it

Ivy is a very valuable plant for bees - it's often the only one in flower during the winter! (Tiny little flowers, but still a source of nectar)

Surely it isn't legal to poison their plant?! You can cut anything that overhangs and ask them to remove the trellis.

I like ivy though. We have some and robins nest in it

Some of the crazy answers on this thread make me wonder how any nature will survive humans!! Surely a garden is for plants? Ivy is beautiful and important for nature and easily controlled. I guess the same people will have plastic grass too 'cos mud'...!

My garden isn’t the wild. People are entitled to have their garden how they like it!

With how little room there is left for nature, you would have to be very cruel to put aesthetic preferences above wildlife.

Just because I don’t want ivy growing through my fence, it does not mean I don’t care about wildlife.

I think this is a mad thread. Not because the OP wants them to remove the ivy (fair enough, it’s legally their fence). I like ivy but it can be a problem on fences that aren’t very solid. It’s the hordes of posters advising the OP definitely not to communicate with their neighbours at all and to go straight to poisoning the neighbours’ ivy.
If this was “AIBU - I came home and found my neighbour had killed my plant” I think the responses would be very different.