# Ivy



## CanisDraco (24 Jan 2015)

Right, you're a technical, well read lot - ivy wood, yes or no?

I've been researching sporadically for about a year now and nobody seems to know if old, dead ivy is actually poisonous or if people are just put off by the fact that everybody says ivy is poisonous. The ivy I'm talking about has been dead and dried out for up to a decade, there's no leaves, berries or sap in sight and these are what mostly hold the poison saponins. The wood seems like hardwood - by the fact that it feels hard  - (how does one tell a hardwood?) but since it's an evergreen the common consensus is that it wouldn't work.

Another confusing thing is that the internet seems to blur American ideas with English ideas and confuse people as to what's true for which country. American poison ivy (toxicodendron radicans) is toxic (it's right there in it's name) but UK native ivy hedera helix is most likely the ivy I mean, and it's said to have a lower toxicity, again with the berries and sap being the most likely place to find said toxic saponins.

If I can't use it, that's fine, but I want more reasons why than "someone told me ivy was poisonous".


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## stu_ (24 Jan 2015)

pretty sure 'Big Tom' used long dead ivy on one of his Nano's.
Try searching the Journals.


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## CanisDraco (24 Jan 2015)

Okay, I will do this! Thank you


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## streety (6 Mar 2015)

I've used dead ivy wood a few times. No problem. It doesn't last long though.
Cheers 
James


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## BigTom (6 Mar 2015)

Yup I've used ivy in a couple of tanks. Seemed fine to me - just make sure it's nice and dead and dry. It does start to decay noticeably after about 6 months to a year. 

Sent from my Xperia T using Tapatalk


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## CanisDraco (31 Mar 2015)

Missed these replies... Thanks guys  I'll maybe bring a couple of bits to a new tank and have a bit of an experiment!


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