Wall cat, climbing wall wine, fence wine, virgin vine - the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus) is known by many names. The very fast and lush growing climbing plant is often used for greening facades and house walls and also comes up with a beautiful, bright red autumn colour.
Not all varieties of wild wine climb up the walls of houses
Not every virgin vine belongs to the self-climbers
From a botanical point of view, the different types of Virginia creeper belong to the climbing plants. This means that they do not need climbing aids, but rather form self-adhesive adhesive feet. These cling to almost any surface - with the exception of metal or sheet metal - and are usually very difficult to remove. However, not all young vines form equally strong adhesive roots, some species even only a few or almost none. These - which also include the common maidenhair vine (Parthenocissus vitacea) - therefore need a trellis on which they can climb along. But it also makes sense for self-climbers to attach a fall protection in the form of a rope construction - this way you prevent a total fall of the vegetation caused by a storm or strong wind.
Suitable climbing aids
When it comes to climbing aids, different variants are suitable, although you don't have to commit yourself right from the start. A young plant is initially satisfied with a simple stick on which it can grow. Only later can you replace this with a wider and higher trellis. Incidentally, climbing aids made of wood and, if necessary, also made of plastic have proven themselves, while metal or tin supports are accepted hesitantly and are therefore not very suitable.
What problems the Virginia creeper can cause
In particular, if you want to cultivate Virginia creeper on the balcony or terrace or avoid damage to the facade, you should still let the self-climber climb up a trellis - this not only makes it easier to remove it later, but also prevents possible serious problems. Due to the strong growth and the adhesive roots penetrating every crack, Virginia creeper can cause serious damage to the masonry and roof (for example by undermining the roof tiles and levering them out), to rain gutters and other attachments. The same applies to the roots, which can penetrate the foundation walls and thus weaken them.
Avoid possible damage
Such problems can be prevented by heeding the following basic rules when planting:
- Never plant Virginia creeper too close to a wall.
- Provide the plant with a trellis or a rope scaffold to secure it from falling.
- Curb growth by pruning.
- Keep a safe distance from roofs, gutters and windows.
- Check the substrate for cracks and other damage before planting.
tips
The growth of Virginia creeper can also be limited by cultivation in buckets.