There are countless garden design ideas using vines— in addition to covering trellises, pergolas, or other structures, vines can mask an unattractive wall on a terrace garden design and disguise an unflattering site line at a small brownstone garden design.

Ivy is a bit of a lighting rod.  Culturally significant and aesthetically pleasing to some, an invasive weed and maintenance issue to the vast majority. When it comes to ivy on a building, there are varying thoughts on this. Building NYC garden designs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, I find it to be the most common plant encountered in these neighborhood gardens. 

Many a homeowner and garden designer have planted English ivy (known botanically as Hedera helix) with innocent intent for privacy landscaping or a custom garden design, only to discover several years later it has escaped its boundaries and become more than a maintenance issue. According to the National Park Service, European colonists introduced English ivy as early as 1727 in the North American colonies. It is widely planted for its evergreen foliage and dependability as a year-round “carefree” ground cover — though it is anything but low maintenance gardening. Recognized as a serious weed of natural ecosystems, parks, landscapes and other areas, it continues to be sold and marketed as an ornamental plant in the United States. Vast resources, time and labor are expended attempting to manage infestations on public and private lands.”

Can Ivy damage brick or wood on your home?

A study at Oxford University found that where walls were not properly constructed, or the masonry was unsound, in disrepair or weak, ivy found its way into cracks and crevices by its aerial roots. Where masonry was in good condition the plant served as protection for the masonry from temperature extremes, moisture and pollution by cleansing the air. Ivy can be safely taken off of walls leaving them intact.

The RHS (Royal Horitcultural Society mentions that "vegetation attached to walls could lead to dampness resulting from slower drying conditions following rain. This may be plausible on a south-west facing wall where the rain is driven by prevailing winds. However, other sources suggest that such plants will have a slight drying effect on mortar and will also provide some degree of insulation in winter, particularly evergreen ivies covering exposed north and east-facing walls."

Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) and native Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) are also aggressive climbers with aerial roots that cling to a building. These are perhaps the second and third most common vines planted and self-seeding in new york city landscape.  While these vines attach via holdfasts or aerial roots, they are less inclined to cause any damage. Note that other vines can climb quickly on an artificial support via tendrils or twining.  If plant material is potentially causing harm to infrastructure it is wise to remediate the situation asap. If there is concern in the design of a climbing plant on a wall, an alternative is to build a cable trellis a few inches off of the building façade. .

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALTERNATIVES TO ENGLISH IVY

Plants are living, growing entities which need regular maintenance.  As with all plants, there are benefits but also challenges to caring for them.