there is a grove of trees next door that has been taken over by English Ivy
i'm guessing for at least 50+ years not sure
and the trees have some of the largest English ivy trunks i have ever seen
the one in this image is 3 1/4 inches in dia
has anybody seen any ivy this big?

Wow! That is impressive and scary.

It's the scourge of the Pacific Northwest, along with blackberry vines. I've seen pretty bad infestations around here, and it tries to invade my yard all the time.

Yes, I've seen English ivy that big before... and killed it. The previous owner planted it to cover a low wall and it ended up taking over the garden, including dragging down two lengths of fence. I should still have a couple of stumps (not a typo) I left as reminders.

I keep on finding young ivy everywhere, especially under the trees: birds eat the fruit and take the seeds everywhere... I should really remove the bird feeders to teach those feathered critters a lesson!