What climbing plant can grow up the side of a building without destroying the mortar?

Question

I want to plant a plant that will grow up the side of my building but do not want to destroy the mortar in the bricks. It also must do well with midwestern weather.

Answer 1

best to stick with twining vines or tendrils that do not attach to brick or mortar, you will need to support these with wires, trellises or steaks. there are very good vines in these two categories such as grapes and honey suckle. check this sight for a better idea.

Answer 2

clamatis it's pretty and it blooms flowers in the spring and summer

Answer 3

If you use climbing plants that cling to the surface of the wall like English Ivy, it can and will damage your mortar.  The best solution is to use climbing plants like Jasmin or honey suckle which will grow well on a trellis such as a wire mess and will cover your wall without damaging the mortar.  Check this site out for more information on climbing plants.

http://www.acsgarden.com/article_item.as...

Answer 4

Morning Glory, if your area doesn't get too cold during the winters, otherwise it'd just be a seasonal plant that comes back every spring.

Answer 5

One idea before making a choice is to consider planting more than one item. No one says you have to use just one species and mixing things up, especially deciduous and evergreen gives the best year round.

Wisteria comes to mind right away. It is a fabulous and relativly fast growing twining vine with a wonderful flower. They are very long lived and some have even been thought to be the largest living plants. They have even outlived the houses they grow on and are so loved by the owners that they were held up by cranes so that the houses could be rebuilt under them. The flowers of W. sinensis are even steamed and eaten in some areas of China, concidered a delicacy. I have never tried them but I will have to keep that in mind next year as there is a monster vine next door to us. The flowers though will be an insect problem as most flowers are so screens on windows for the weeks in blossom will be a necessity.

Concider grapes. I always like to find multi purpose items to plant and grapes fit that bill for obvious reasons. Any of the grapes, eating and wine types might be a lot of fun, but need some training initially. You want plants that twine and they need some help at first. It is the clinging vines that dig in and couse problems.

Campsis species, the Trumpet creepers, are a lot of fun too. Nice flowers and some nice varieties out there. For these, and anything else you want, you really have to bee a constant garden center "groupie" and really look around at what is available. Always best to buy local as you can see what you buy and get a warentee. Some of the real good plant dealers, you know which ones, stand by their stuff and I love getting their catalogs every year. Watch out for the untried on line stuff you are not familiar with.

You don't have many evergreen things that are not damaging. You can throw a bit of Ivy in and watch it. Climbing Hydrangea is frequently evergreen like, keeping it's leaf and seems to be easier on the building than a lot of othe things are. And it has a nice flower.

One concideration is to use upright juniper varieties and try to train them as an "espalier". Any smaller upright tree or shrub will work and that means evergreens for you if you want to work a bit at it, is a labor of love though. One of my favorites are dwarf apples done on walls as a highlight. See the link below, and look at others. It is a real fun thing and a great look. The second link is great for some diagrams of different styles

Answer 6

hummm not much of a plant person my self but try a plant Whit many stems then a few as the dammage will be sprend if not gone