Alternative to ivy for a house wall

[dmcleman]

Ivy gets a bad press when used on a house wall - are there any good alternatives? Evergreen, looks after itself.

[woofgang]

Ivy isn't a problem in itself if the underlying wall is sound and not coated with anything like plaster which the ivy will pull off. IMHO a;lthough it looks attractive, growing anything extensive on the walls of your abode is not a good idea as it provides a hideaway for insects, which can then invade your house. We have had nasty experiences with greenfly which colonised the ivy and then a bedroom!!

[Cetti]

Having lived in an ancient house myself that was covered in Ivy I tend to agree with woofgang. Every creepy crawlie known to man used it as a step ladder to enter the bedrooms!

Why don't you go for a deciduous plant like Parthenocissus instead of an evergreen? It's more usually known as Boston Ivy and turns a gorgeous red in the autumn. Lots of different varieties to choose from - and you wont be bothered by quite so many bugs.

[apricot]

It depends upon how high you want it to grow. Pyracanthus is a good evergreen plant which has flowers in summer and glorious red/orange/yellow berries in winter (depending on the variety) It is also VERY thorny and can be used as a burglar deterrent but it may also impale small children. Hydrangea lace cap is the climbing variety but isn't evergreen. Some clematis can be very rampant but can be cut down each season and you have the bonus of flowers.

[melandraf]

Virginnia Creeper is lovely...

[dorisday]

Climbing hydrangea looks lovely, but can be a bit cruel to brickwork