Vine that grows on brownstones?

Are there any relatively fast-growing vines that will grow on a brownstone without harming the facade? I’m looking for something to keep in a container on my balcony that will grow up the balcony wall a bit.

prekyznvbomljmsd

in General Discussion 7 years and 5 months ago

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Arkady | 7 years and 4 months ago

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I’ve had to have a wall repointed twice in 20 years because ivy destroyed the mortar.

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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you could be right about the more general impact of the water-deflection and insulation on the wall, but the little suction cups themselves can damage stone and are extremely difficult to remove if you need to remove the ivy. i definitely agree about air quality and wouldn’t deny that plants are good. i like plants. just put up a trellis… or some strings for morning glories to climb…

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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you could be right about the more general impact of the water-deflection and insulation on the wall, but the little suction cups themselves can damage stone and are extremely difficult to remove if you need to remove the ivy. i definitely agree about air quality and wouldn’t deny that plants are good. i like plants. just put up a trellis… or some strings for morning glories to climb…

hancockone | 7 years and 4 months ago

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Hi Maggie, Actually, in the case of vines like Boston ivy which attaches with tiny suction cups, the foliage deflects waster away from the stone, and keeps it cooler in hot summer months which minimizes the cracking caused by expansion and contraction. In the winter, the leaves all fall off so the stone can evaporate out moisture. The leaves will filter large particulates in the air from entering window,s giving you cleaner ventilation and the leaves create oxygen, improving the air quality of the air surrounding the windows. Not a bad thing.

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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> @hancockone
> many of the objections are old-wives tales
just to be clear, the ability of clinging vines to damage masonry is not an old wives tale. especially in the case of a soft material like brownstone, vines that attach directly to the stone will slowly deteriorate the surface. if they get big and bushy enough they will prevent the wall from fully drying which further deteriorates masonry. the suggestions above about setting up a trellis will serve you and your home much better in the long term.

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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> @hancockone
> many of the objections are old-wives tales
just to be clear, the ability of clinging vines to damage masonry is not an old wives tale. especially in the case of a soft material like brownstone, vines that attach directly to the stone will slowly deteriorate the surface. if they get big and bushy enough they will prevent the wall from fully drying which further deteriorates masonry. the suggestions above about setting up a trellis will serve you and your home much better in the long term.

randolph | 7 years and 4 months ago

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virginia creeper

honeycut | 7 years and 4 months ago

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Purple Bean Hyacinth grow fast, have pretty purple stems/leaf veins, with dark green leaves and beautiful lavender flowers and purple bean pods (not for eating) that do great in containers. We have planted some that grew up 20+’ onto a bamboo teepee.

hancockone | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Here is a good article on the subject. Green walls have benefits and many of the objections are old-wives tales. Here is the link: http://www.post-gazette.com/life/garden/2014/07/19/Fa-ade-greening-can-offer-savings/stories/201407190012

greenworks | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Considering what you’d like to do and the size of the container, resident2’s suggestion is how I’d go too. Morning glories are speedy growers, easy to plant and grow (just nick the seeds a bit and/or soak them before sowing).

Scroll to the bottom of this link for info on growing/sowing: https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/vines/morningglory.html

resident2 | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Plant some morning Glories; easily trained on trellis, they are just annuals so easy to maintain for a quick bust of green for the summer. Make sure to water everyday.

prekyznvbomljmsd | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Good suggestions! I have a northwest facing balcony that doesn’t get sun until after 1 pm (and then it’s sunny until sunset). I want the vine to cover the balcony wall, which is 1 foot high and about 6 feet long. I’d also like it to climb up a thin wire or string/rope, if possible. I want something fast growing so that it’s very green out there in a month or two. No idea if that’s possible! The container would probably be…2 gallon?

hcoekdmbarpvgnsw | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Minimal trellis and clematis is a pretty and gentle way to go.

hcoekdmbarpvgnsw | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Minimal trellis and clematis is a pretty and gentle way to go.

anotherposter | 7 years and 5 months ago

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For a container on a balcony, I might have a light structure (or maybe some rope affixed higher up) for a clematis as a seasonal plant. If you get much sun, they can bloom for a long time in the summer and some varieties grow pretty quickly.

randolph | 7 years and 5 months ago

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climbing hydrangea

greenworks | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Arkady has a great suggestion since I can’t think of any vines that wouldn’t do some sort of damage however slight if you are very fussy about it.

Wisteria is the worst but would probably be too big anyway for balcony container.

How big a balcony and how big a container? There are a lot of variables that would affect my advice to you.

How much sun per day too?

Arkady | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Friends of mine have stretched wires so they can have that look w/o endangering the facade.