Vines that grow on brick walls

[JoshPosh]

I want to beautify this ugly brick wall in the back of my yard. I was thinking of painting it, but then I thought to myself why not add a vine that will cover it. So my question all of you is, what type of vine can I use to do this little project? Does it have a common name? How long will it take to grow?

 

[Chuck]

I want to beautify this ugly brick wall in the back of my yard. I was thinking of painting it, but then I thought to myself why not add a vine that will cover it. So my question all of you is, what type of vine can I use to do this little project? Does it have a common name? How long will it take to grow?

Some vines will actually grow into the wall and destroy the grout thus really messing up the wall ie. English Ivy. Why not make some sort of trellis that will still hide the wall but not add to its destruction. Where you live you could grow pole beans or Tatuma squash, even vineing cherry tomatoes and cucumbers among others. As for a flowering vine I haven't a clue as to what is destructive or not but I am sure someone on this forum knows

 

[marlingardener]

As a general rule, don't let any vine grow directly on a wall. As Chuck said, the tendrils will penetrate the grout and eventually bring down the wall.
I'd suggest putting a trellis or other support about 6" out from the wall and using a vine that is non-invasive, and doesn't have tendrils.
Like Chuck, I'm not familiar with plants common in Hawaii, so can't give a recommendation.

 

[Gliss]

Personally, I love the look of old brick. I understand your asking this question because ivy or vine covered brick often is very visually appealing.But as others have already said the roots can be destructive over the long term. I've recently seen some posts using moss to create art/designs on walls, here is one such link http://urbangardensnyc.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/moss-art.jpg. I'm sure there are many of others as well. Maybe something like that might appeal to you?

 

[claudine]

We had an ivy that used to grow directly on one of the walls of our house. It looked magical! During warm months, all its leaves were deep green and really big. I loved that plant with all my heart. Unfortunately, my parents decided to remove it, because it was destroying the bricks

 

[Mika]

If you want a plant that will take over a brick wall, English Ivy will do it. It looks absolutely gorgeous in the fall. However, as others have stated it will tear out the grout. We learned this the hard way. Not to mention it's a royal pain to get rid of once it's growing. Our only option was to put concrete over top of where its roots were. If the brick is just a wall and not part of something else then go for it! Also, no matter what you do, don't get hummingbird vine. You will never get rid of it. It looks gorgeous. Unfortunately it buries itself everywhere and even our neighbors complain that it's sprouting in their yard.

 

[Cereus]

English Ivy is highly invasive, as much as it looks nice against brick walls and the like...it also likes to kill trees and spreads out. In WA it's a major problem and is what causes a lot of large trees to topple over during rough summer storms. The ivy essentially weakens the tree and causes rot due to the micro climates it creates. Plus the additional weight causes branches to break and further compromises the tree.

That being said, there's other alternatives to English Ivy if you want a nice climbing effect on your house. There's climbing roses, clematis, jasmine, wisteria, ect but you have to create a trellis for them to climb on. Boston Ivy is an acceptable substitute for English Ivy since it has little suckers to hold onto the wall and doesn't compromise structural integrity. Virginia Creeper's another popular substitute as well since it's like Boston Ivy.

 

[LIcenter]

My personal favorite climber that will do no damage to existing structures is the Climbing Hydreanga. I have one growing on a six foot wooden stockade fence for over eight years now. In all that time it has not even pulled one slat from the fence. It also grows very well in Hawaii. Where I live it will lose it's leaves during winter, but the interest it creates from it's brambling branches far out weighs the leaf lose. This is not a plant that will give you instant gratification, but if you are in it for the long haul, this would with out a doubt be my choice for what you are looking for. Link to pics below.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cli...v&sa=X&ei=x2DXVPC5Lse9ggThoYSACg&ved=0CCcQsAQ

 

[galmal]

How about sweet peas? They are so pretty and come in lots of different colors. They are an annual here in zone 7, but might not be in Hawaii.

I also love clematis - again there are dozens of varieties.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Josh:

Vines that grow on brick walls… I want to beautify this ugly brick wall in the back of my yard.

English Ivy (Hedera helix), Irish Ivy (Hedera hibernica), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Japanese Creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)

English Ivy and Irish Ivy are evergreen, Virginia Creeper and Japanese Creeper are deciduous.

 

[Corzhens]

I have seen a wall with a crawler but not exactly a vine. It ground at the bottom of the wall was planted with dragon fruit. The stems of the dragon fruit climbs the wall by clinging. And when the flowers come out, it was a sight to see much more when the fruits ripen, the red fruits dotting the wall looked like a cute design. Our dragon fruit is also climbing our firewall although it's just 4 feet high.

 

[mgmine]

Virginia creeper will not hurt the mortar and grows like crazy. The problem is that it will cover everything if you don't keep it in check.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

English Ivy, Irish Ivy, Virginia Creeper and Japanese Creeper will not hurt the mortar.