Expert issues urgent warning after uncovering disturbing truth about popular backyard plant: 'Stuff like this is so avoidable'

A botanist took to TikTok to educate the public about a popular plant that is doing serious harm to the environment in the United States.

TikToker Jesse Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest) posted a straightforward video about the dangers of English ivy.

@sacramentofoodforest This is a sad, but perfect example of how invasive species crash biodiversity. This was all native redwood, pine , and valley oak trees. Now its only sticks and english ivy. Stop planting invasives #invasivespecies #invasive #englishivy #biodiversity #loss #nativeplants #conservation #habitat #restoration #outdoors #neightborhood #suburban #landscape #plants #plantlover #learnontiktok #didyouknow #dontdothis #trees #arborist #treework #tree #redwood ♬ you are so pretty - ່

"English ivy kills trees," he says several times in the video, while showing a series of trees covered in the leafy plant.

"This was all native redwood, pine, and valley oak trees," he wrote in the caption. "Now its only sticks and English ivy. Stop planting invasives."

"Stuff like this is so avoidable," Dickson wrote in the comments. "You just have to not use invasive plants in your landscape. Use natives, and help other animals have a home."

English ivy is considered an invasive species in the United States and is tricky to deal with. Native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, it was first documented in the U.S. by colonists in 1727, according to the National Park Service.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

It quickly took hold in North America's fertile soil and has spread across the U.S. It's an aggressive invader that climbs buildings, trellises, trees, and basically everything it touches incredibly quickly. As it spreads over trees, its wide leaves quickly block the tree from getting the sunlight it needs, and within just a few years, the tree will die, leaving its ivy-covered husk behind.

On buildings, the roots can dig into and destabilize the mortar between bricks, causing issues with the stability of the structure and posing a risk to the building itself.

On top of that, the added weight of ivy vines increases the risk of trees blowing over in inclement weather. English ivy is also known to carry bacterial leaf scorch, a harmful plant disease that can have devastating impacts on various trees and ornamental plants. It can be tricky to remove if it's been left to grow uninhibited, and if you don't get all of it, it can come back with a vengeance.

Commenters in this case shared Dickson's sentiments.