Virginia creeper, virgin vine, wall cat, fence vine - Parthenocissus is a popular but also quite problematic climbing plant. Due to its very fast and lush growth, it quickly overgrows larger areas, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Wild wine is not the same as wild wine, because there are different types with very different climbing characteristics.
Virginia creeper tendrils form adhesive discs to hold on
Self-climbing or climbing plant?
The well-known three-pointed virgin vine (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), for example, is one of the self-climbing climbing plants that ideally do not require any additional climbing aids. Instead, it forms so-called adhesive discs at the end of its tendrils - these are thread-like shoot axes - with the help of which it can independently and effortlessly climb smooth surfaces such as facades and walls. The self-climbing virgin vine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), especially the "Engelmannii" variety, also has very good climbing properties. In contrast, the common maidenhair vine (Parthenocissus vitacea) develops tendrils, but no adhesive feet that enable it to climb independently.
Suitable climbing aids
For this reason, the common spiny vine should always be provided with a suitable trellis along which the tendrils of the plant can grow. Tendrils are sensitive to touch and react to such stimuli with attempts to coil and twist. A stable network of wire or rope is well suited, although self-climbing species also benefit from such a construction. On the one hand, these act as fall protection, but on the other hand they also keep damage to surfaces such as facades and walls by the strongly adhering tendrils in check.
Problematic removal of the adhesive discs
These are extremely tight and can only be removed with great effort and often only with the use of chemical agents. Even if an older, well-established wild wine falls as a result of a storm or similar, only the tendrils tear loose from the adhesive discs - which in turn remain stuck to the ground. For this reason Virginia creeper - which, despite all efforts, tends to grow wherever it has no business being - can cause considerable damage to masonry and facades and, through the roots, to the foundations. Therefore, consider a possible planting of Virginia creeper very carefully.
tips
Instead of Virginia creeper, other climbing plants often come into question, such as clematis, passion flowers, trumpet flowers, grapevines, climbing hydrangeas or ivy.