Gutters, Pipes & Fittings are Always Vulnerable
Most climbing plants can damage, block, or push guttering, drainpipes and other external fittings off the wall.
Wisteria in particular is the drainpipe & gutter crusher!
Twining tendrils generally won’t damage walls
Unless their weight gets too much for their supports, these plants are safe for any wall
Wisteria is a partial exception: with age, it gets very heavy, with strong vines that can crush things they twine around. Keep it off drainpipes!
Zoom in on the wisteria “tree trunk” between the white garage doors. It’s swallowed whatever use to hold it up.
You can see how far it extends to the left. It’s partially covered by Parthenocissus to the right, but it wraps around the building.
Aerial roots and suckers can damage old, crumbly structures, and paint
These plants will damage old, crumbling brickwork that already has cracks for them to attack, but should not be a problem for new houses, except the paint job when removing them.
- Don’t yank them off when they are alive, or they will take the paint with them.
- Cut the vines at the base to kill them, then leave them for several months to wither and dry out before pulling them off.