How to Grow Climbing Vines on Your House—Without Causing MAJOR Damage

Exterior walls adorned with vines possess an undeniable charm, bringing to mind tranquil afternoons spent in idyllic English gardens or basking on a Mediterranean villa’s sunny terrace. Plus, they bring outstanding curb appeal to your home. And thankfully, training ivy or flowering vines to climb your house is straightforward and adds a classic touch of elegance.

"Vines can be such a dynamic and beautiful addition to an outdoor space," says landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn NYC and The Cultivation by Kat. "I recommend incorporating them whenever possible."

While cultivating vines doesn’t require expert-level gardening skills, you do need to put in some thoughtful planning. For perennial vines, choose a species that can thrive through winter in your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here) and ensure that it won't cause damage to your home or garden. "Some vines can be invasive and are not recommended," notes Cervoni. "In fact, many vines are not suitable for home gardens unless you have an experienced gardener who is consistently maintaining and managing them."

It’s also essential to acknowledge that growing climbing vines requires patience and does not happen overnight. "How quickly a vine can cover a wall largely depends on the type of vine and the wall’s size," explains Cervoni. "For example, Virginia creeper can grow uncontrollably, adding up to 20 feet a year once it’s established. Meanwhile, slower-growing vines like climbing hydrangea may only grow one to three feet annually."

If you are willing to invest the time in doing your research and growing the right kind of vines to scale your home, your patience will certainly pay off. Keep reading to uncover all the details for growing ivy and vines on your walls—without harming your home.

How Do Climbing Vines Cling?

Vines climb by supporting themselves with twining stems, aerial rootlets, or adhesive disks—and you have to know what kind of support your vine of choice needs.

"It's crucial to match the support system with how the vines climbs," says Miranda Niemiec, operations manager and horticulturalist for GreatGardenPlants.com. "Twining plants need a sturdy support with narrow 'bars' that they can wind around." This means you'll want to have a trellis, lattice, or ironwork for plants such as honeysuckle, kiwi vine, and bougainvillea to climb up.

Other vines, such as climbing hydrangea, use small aerial rootlets to cling, so they don't require much help and will climb well on their own, especially on rough surfaces like masonry. One caveat: "If you choose this type of vine, know that if you decide to remove it someday, its aerial rootlets will stay behind and need to be sanded or power-washed off," says Niemiec.

The most difficult types of vines to remove are those that attach themselves with adhesive disks, like Boston Ivy and Virginia creeper. These pose a real threat to homes—if a vine is torn off, the suction-cup-like disks often pull out chunks of masonry as well, leaving holes behind.

It depends on the type of vine—as described above—but also on the home.

"There are some surfaces I do not recommend training a vine onto as there is too much risk that damage will occur," says Cervoni. "Homes with vinyl siding, wood siding, and wood shingles should be kept vine-free because the tendrils can creep underneath or between slats, causing them to pull away from the home, introducing moisture beneath the siding."

• Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) has good shade tolerance, lovely flowers, and foliage that remains attractive even in the heat; it is self-clinging, according to Cervoni.
• Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a tough, fast-growing evergreen vine that has beautiful, bright yellow spring flowers; it’s tolerant of light shade. It’s twining, so it needs a support or trellis, says Cervoni.
• Kiwi vine (Actinidia kolomikta) is an unconventional choice with fragrant flowers and pretty variegation, says Niemiec.
• Roses (Rosa), such as New Dawn, require a tad more upkeep and will need support, such as a trellis. But they're a beautiful, fragrant addition to any garden space, says Cervoni.
• Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea) has tiny white flowers surrounded by gorgeous, papery bracts in bright colors. It's a stunning perennial vine in warm climates. "It needs a little help from you to climb," says Niemiec. You'll need to guide it up a trellis, then check its growth periodically so that it continues to twine in the direction you want.
• Clematis (Clematis) is available in many different varieties and colors; its petioles (the little stems that connect the leaf to the main stem) wrap around the support structure, so it needs narrow upright supports such as heavy-duty coated wire to climb, says Niemiec.

Several types of vines are considered invasive and may damage your home’s surface. Unfortunately, many of these are still sold at nurseries and online, so read the labels and look for the botanical name to be sure about what you’re buying.

Vines you should avoid planting to climb your home’s walls include:

• English ivy (Hedera helix) can damage mortar and become invasive, says Cervoni. If you love the look of ivy, stick to it as a potted houseplant, where it won't take over—although it may start breeding spider mites.
• Wisteria, including Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria floribunda, is considered invasive. If you have your heart set on wisteria, use the native North American species, Wisteria frutescens, says Niemiec. 'Amethyst Falls' is a popular native variety.
• Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is a vigorous climber that can become a maintenance nightmare, says Niemiec.
• Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) can become invasive in a garden and also spread by wind to open natural areas where it can take over, says Cervoni.

How Do You Train a Vine to Climb?

Some plants, such as climbing roses and bougainvillea, may need some help to get started. Once you've set up a trellis, you can manually guide the plants around it to start.

"Gently weave the rose through the support so it can start growing in the right direction," says Cervoni. "If a vine is too small, use twist ties, garden twine, or outdoor-rated hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro, to secure it to the trellis." A thin metal wire attached to the wall with eye hooks also works to serve as a support.

You'll need to check on your vine periodically during the growing season to make sure it's going in the right direction. Redirect any wayward growth by weaving it into the trellis or securing it with twine, says Cervoni. Perennial vines also benefit from yearly pruning to maintain shape or to promote better blooming.

Finally, if perennial vines seem like too much effort to maintain year after year, consider planting an annual vine, says Niemiec. There are tons of options, including morning glory, moonflower, vining types of nasturtium (not mounding types), black-eyed Susan vine, and scarlet runner bean, which has lovely red flowers hummingbirds love and edible beans. You'll get all the beauty and color—and attract pollinators—with annual vines, plus the added flexibility of knowing you can change up what type of vine you grow every year.