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Saturday - July 11, 2009

From: Albuqueruqe, NM
Region: Southwest
Topic: Vines
Title: Non-destructive vine for stucco in Albuquerque
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Is there a vine that can grow on stucco without destroying the stucco when removed?

ANSWER:

We looked at some vines that are native to New Mexico to see if there were any viable choices.

Clematis pitcheri (bluebill) will grow to about 8 or 9 feet tall, climbing by twining petioles, which would mean you would need some sort of wire netting or framework for them to climb. They are deciduous and die back to the ground at first frost, but would not harm the stucco. You would need either to dismantle the "trellis" on the wall every year, or look at it without a vine covering it in the Winter; the following two vines would present the same problem.

Ipomoea lindheimeri (Lindheimer's morning-glory) climbs to about 10 ft., again by twining petioles, blooms blue from April to October and is deciduous.

Lonicera albiflora (western white honeysuckle) will grow to about 10 ft, is a deciduous twining vine, blooms white March to May.

Deciduous and climbing or ground cover up to 40 ft., Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) can do well in sun or part shade. Not native to New Mexico but is native to Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas, so it might be worth a try. Here are some more notes from our webpage on this plant:

"Virginia Creeper can be used as a climbing vine or ground cover. Its tendrils end in adhesive-like tips, giving this vine the ability to cement itself to walls and therefore need no support. The presence of adhesive tips instead of penetrating rootlets also means it doesn't damage buildings the way some vines do. It is one of the earliest vines to color in the fall. A vigorous grower, it tolerates most soils and climatic conditions."

We're wondering if, instead of growing vines up your stucco wall, you might consider planting some Southwestern plants in front of it. Depending on the sun exposure and color of the stucco, here are some suggestions that might work. Follow the links to each webpage and find out bloom time, expected size, light and water requirements, etc. You can search for other plants for your purposes by going to our Recommended Species section, clicking on New Mexico on the map, and then selecting the Habit (herb, shrub, tree, etc.), light requirements, and so forth.

Suggested plants for in front of a stucco wall in New Mexico:

Abutilon wrightii (Wright's Indian mallow)

Chrysactinia mexicana (damianita)

Acacia angustissima (prairie acacia)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)