Is it a myth, or do climbing plants such as Virginia creeper do untold damage to walls?
I’m tempted to dress my house in their beautiful red leaves, and have just taken six healthy cuttings. Please give me permission to plant them. Ivy is the worst offender when it comes to wall damage, because its roots sink into any loose bits of brickwork or mortar. Virginia creeper, meanwhile, climbs by a different method – it has tendrils tipped with adhesive pads that stick benignly to the wall surface, and has no penetrating roots. If you tried to rip a live plant straight off the wall, chances are you would pull off bits of mortar, too, but once the plant is dead (for instance, after cutting the stem at the base), the adhesive pads start to shrivel and will eventually release their grip and come easily away from the wall. So permission granted.
