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Sunday - September 02, 2012

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, Vines
Title: Vine recommendations for Central Texas homes
Answered by: Brigid & Larry Larson

QUESTION:

I have hardy plank siding and am looking for a Central Texas native vine that will grow over it. I am trying to keep it from growing under the planks.

ANSWER:

Wikipedia has a good article on vines and they discuss how vines attach themselves to whatever they climb. We can use this as a basis of choosing between different possible vines, Ones that climb by wrapping around protrusions or by twinned petioles [leaf stems] are likely OK while those that send roots into the wall or burrow under ‘bark” are not such a good choice.

We have eleven vines to choose from that are native to Central Texas. You can review the set by going to the Central Texas recommended species and narrowing the choices by choosing “vine” as the habit. You can then look for clues in the plant record. For instance, Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper) climbs by means of aerial rootlets, which, like English Ivy, can damage wood, stone, and brick. Even though it can be quite attractive, I suspect this should not be on your list.

To me, these three look the gentlest to your wall:
Clematis pitcheri (Purple clematis) – climbs to about 10 ft by twining petioles
Clematis texensis (Scarlet clematis) - similar
Lonicera sempervirens (Coral honeysuckle) – 3-20 feet by twining

If you can tolerate tendrils, then these also become possible choices
Ibervillea lindheimeri (Lindheimer's globeberry) – climbs to 6-10 feet by tendrils
Passiflora tenuiloba (Bird wing passionflower)
Passiflora incarnata (Purple passionflower) to 25 feet
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) – to 40 feet